Three Black women athletes taking center stage

The GIST: Black women smashing ceilings in sports is nothing new — and there’s only more to come. That’s why we’re capping off our Black History Month series by highlighting three Black women whose futures are so bright, shades are a must.

🤸 Jordan Chiles, UCLA and Team USA gymnastics: The dynamic American gymnast is already a multi-Olympic medalist, most recently earning gold in the team event at the Paris Games — but that’s only part of the reason she was named one of TIME’s women of the year. Her resilience and grace in the face of adversity left so many in awe this year.

• From floor routines that spark joy to her pre-meet sweet tooth, friend of The GIST Chiles is a gymnastics icon, demonstrating growing diversity in the sport while also being a vocal advocate for mental health — from the UCLA mat and beyond, she’s just getting started.

🏀 JuJu Watkins, USC basketball: Not only is the superstar sophomore a force to be reckoned with on the court — she’s the only DI college player to tally more than 35 points, 10 boards, eight blocks, and five threes in a single game — Watkins is making waves off the hardwood too, boasting an NIL portfolio that includes one of the most lucrative shoe deals in women’s hoops history.

• What’s more, the LA kid is (literally) invested in making the game and community she loves more inclusive and accessible, promoting the rise of women’s basketball as an early Unrivaled backer while also championing her late grandfather’s legacy.

🏒 Sophie Jaques, Minnesota Frost: Making history is nothing new for the Canadian, whose college heroics catapulted Ohio State into national title contention during her five-year tenure. And when her name was engraved on the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Award — given to the top player in women’s college hockey — she became the first Black player to receive the honor.

• Jaques, who, in 2024, was the first Black player drafted to the PWHL, is also skating towards an even bigger legacy. She serves as a spokesperson for Black Girl Hockey Club, an initiative working to make hockey more accessible for Black women. Puck yeah.