NEW YORK (AP) — PWHL and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter pledged Wednesday night to donate $5.5 million to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s $55 million capital campaign.
Billie Jean King and about 100 athletes celebrated the 50th anniversary of the foundation King started with a $5,000 check.
Mark and Kimbra Walter received the Billie Jean King Leadership Award for launching a women’s professional hockey league.
“Women’s sports have really turned a corner and are never going back,” Walter said. “Attendance numbers, media rights and franchise values are all skyrocketing.”
Mr. King worked with Mr. Walter to form the PWHL, which begins its second season next month with teams in Boston, Minnesota, New York, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.
“Our sports teams, Guggenheim and other companies have committed $5.5 million and will put their money to good use,” Walter said.
The 1999 U.S. Women’s National Team received the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. The team won the World Cup in front of a record crowd of over 90,000 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
“It wasn’t just about winning the World Cup,” said goalie Brianna Scully, who accepted the award on behalf of her teammates. “It was about redefining the way people looked at women’s sports in this country.”
Rudolph’s teammate on the 1960 Olympic gold medal 4×100 relay team, Lucinda Adams, 87, joined the soccer players on stage at Cipriani Wall Street.
The 2024 WNBA rookie class received the Next Gen Award. Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago’s Angel Reese helped generate record attendance and television ratings this summer.
The Women’s Sports Foundation provides travel and training grants, local sports programs, and mentorship for athletes and coaches. The foundation praised Dr. King and his partner Ilana Cross, who have long advocated for equal pay and increased investment in women’s sports.
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