The Women's Sports Foundation Celebrates the Transformative Power of Sport at its 2025 Annual Salute to Women in Sports® Gala

The Foundation will honor Michele Kang, Herbert Simon, Alysia Montaño, and Diana Flores, while highlighting its 50+ year commitment to driving systemic change through collective action.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This evening, the Women's Sports Foundation's (WSF^®) Annual Salute will bring together more than 700 athletes and industry leaders – Olympians, Paralympians, legendary icons, team owners, leagues, and brands – to celebrate WSF's role as a convener, thought leader, and catalyst for change. A champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, the Foundation advances opportunity for girls and women that ripples across health, leadership, and the economy. The Annual Salute is presented by WSF National Partners Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, ESPN, Gatorade, and NBC Sports.

The evening honors Michele Kang, Herbert Simon, Alysia Montaño, and Diana Flores with the Foundation's signature awards, highlighting their transformative impact in expanding opportunity and equality while changing how women's sports are played, led, and valued.

The premier night in women's sports since 1980, the Annual Salute will be held at Cipriani Wall Street^® in New York City and emceed by Trustee Arielle Chambers (Multi-media Journalist and women's sports commentator for ESPN & Andscape), WSF Past President Julie Foudy (2x FIFA Women's World Cup Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Broadcaster, and Podcaster), Trustee LaChina Robinson (WNBA Host and Analyst) and Sarah Spain (Author, TV Personality, and Host of "Good Game with Sarah Spain"). Additional support for the Annual Salute is being provided by Ally Financial (Reception Partner), Athletes Unlimited Softball League (Sports Showcase Partner), and FanDuel (Photo Activation Partner).

"Since its founding, the Women's Sports Foundation has worked to ensure that every girl and woman has equal opportunity to play, to unlock their potential on and off the field," said WSF founder, sports icon and equality champion, Billie Jean King. "Over 50 years later, one truth remains abundantly clear: continued progress in women's sports requires all of us. With sustained support and strategic investment, we can foster the next generation and drive lasting change for the future."

The honorees for this year's awards include:

• Michele Kang – Revolutionizing women's sports as the founder of Kynisca, the first global, multi-team organization dedicated to professionalizing women's soccer. A trailblazing investor and visionary leader, she is breaking barriers and building a sustainable future for women's sports across soccer, rugby, and beyond. Kang will be receiving the Billie Jean King Leadership Award, presented by Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and Joel Kassewitz and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation, in recognition for her significant contributions to the advancement of women in the workplace. Read more here.
  
  
• Herbert Simon – Owner and chairman of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, who brought the Indiana Fever to the WNBA in 2000, leading the team to its 2012 championship. As the longest tenured WNBA and NBA owner, Simon is a dedicated champion of women's basketball and a leader in civic and philanthropic efforts throughout Indiana. Simon will be receiving the Champion for Equality Award, presented by the NBA and WNBA, for his commitment to gender equality and to the advancement of girls and women in sports. Read more here.
  
  
• Alysia Montaño – Olympic bronze medalist, seven-time USA national track & field champion, and founder of For All Mothers+, a non-profit using the lens of sports to advocate for the advancement of equitable policies and practices for all mothers. Montaño competed at the U.S. Track and Field Championships while eight months pregnant and became a fearless advocate for mom athletes, sparking a movement for maternal rights in sport. Montaño will be receiving the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, presented by Earlystone, recognizing her courageous athletic performance, ability to overcome adversity, and being a role model to athlete moms and beyond. Read more here.
  
  
• Diana Flores – Captain of Mexico's National Flag Football Team and an ambassador for both the NFL and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), Flores led Mexico to a gold medal at the 2022 World Games and a repeat victory over the United States this year. In so doing, she has elevated flag football on the global stage and become one of the most recognizable faces in flag football all while inspiring a worldwide reimagining of women's sports. Flores will be receiving WSF's inaugural Re-Writing the Game Award, presented by Herbalife, which celebrates a trailblazer that has challenged and changed the way women's sports are played, watched, or perceived, thereby creating a lasting impact for the future. Read more here.

Additionally, WSF's new Sports Culture Spotlight, celebrating the brands, creators and storytellers that don't just reflect culture, but shape it, will recognize trailblazing media and commerce company TOGETHXR for its powerful amplification of women's stories at the cross section of sports, lifestyle, activism, and culture. TOGETHXR was co-founded by world-renowned athletes Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim alongside media veteran Jess Robertson.

This year's Community Spotlight highlights WSF's commitment to breaking down barriers for athletes with disabilities, and will recognize Indiana nonprofit Turnstone Center, an organization dedicated to supportive services addressing the unique needs of people with disabilities and driving change at the community-level.

Since 1974, WSF has championed Title IX, and demonstrated that sports participation – at every level – promotes better health, stronger leadership skills, and lasting social and economic benefits. By uniting athletes, organizations and supporters, the Annual Salute underscores how strategic investments and partnerships empower girls and women to thrive in classrooms, workplaces, and communities.

"Tonight, we celebrate those whose leadership, vision and courage are a driving force in women's sports," said WSF CEO, Danette Leighton. "Their work demonstrates what we at the Women's Sports Foundation have long known: that collective action – from athletes and coaches to organizations, brands, and policymakers – is essential to ensure every girl and woman can play, compete, and lead without barriers. That is why WSF works across the entire women's sports ecosystem. Because when girls and women thrive in sport, they transform the future for us all."

More information about the Annual Salute can be found here.

About the Women's Sports Foundation

The Women's Sports Foundation^® (WSF^®) exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst for tomorrow's leaders. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sport access, equity, and society. For over 50 years, WSF has been changing the game through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $115 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. When girls play, they lead, and we all win!™ To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

Media Contacts:
Patty Bifulco
Women's Sports Foundation
631.230.3322
[email protected]

Kandice Miller
Women's Sports Foundation
479.409.7779
[email protected]

SOURCE Women's Sports Foundation