Mikaela Shiffrin Shortlisted by Women’s Sports Foundation for Sportswoman of the Year Award

Team USA ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin has been named as a finalist for the Women’s Sports Foundation (‘WSF’) award for ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ in the category of individual sport. The Women’s Sports Foundation each year awards several awards to female athletes at the foundation’s ‘Annual Salute to Women in Sports’, including an award for a female team sport athlete.

The Women’s Sports Foundation was established in 1974 by legendary tennis player Billie Jean King. Her mission was to advance the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity and to enable them to reach their full potential. The foundation provides much needed financial aid to female athletes, funds groundbreaking research and seeks to educate about and advocate for women in sports.

Past winners of the Sportswoman of the Year in individual sport include Venus and Serena Williams, Abby Wambach, Meryl Davis, Simone Biles, Yani Tseng and Candace Parker. The Sportswoman of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious in the world.

Aside from Mikaela Shiffrin, the list of finalists for the individual sport woman of the year consists of:

• Cross Country Paralympian Kendall Gretsch (USA)
• Swimmer Katie Ledecky (USA)
• Figure Skater Kaori Sakamoto (Japan)
• Wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot (Netherlands)
• Skateboarder Rayssa Leal (Brazil)
• Track and Field Runner Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
• Surfer Carissa Moore (USA)
• Boxer Claressa Shields (USA)
• Tennis Player Iga Świątek (Poland)

The short list for the team sports female athlete of the year comprises of the following women:

• Field Hockey Player Felice Albers (Netherlands)
• Softball Player Ally Carda (USA)
• Ice Hockey Player Caroline Harvey (USA)
• Sitting Volleyball Player Monique Matthews (USA)
• Sled Hockey Player Erica McKee (USA)
• Lacrosse Player Charlotte North (USA)
• Wheelchair Basketball Player Natalie Schneider (USA)
• Soccer Player Sophia Smith (USA)
• Water Polo Player Maggie Steffens (USA)
• Basketball Player A’ja Wilson (USA)

The foundation each year recognizes an individual sport athlete and team sport athlete. Finalists were selected based on athletic performances between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. 

From the short list of 10 finalists, both the public as well as the WSF Awards Committee vote on the award winners with a 50-50 vote. The winners will be those two athletes who receive the highest combined share of a public vote (50% of composite) and the Awards Committee vote (50% of the composite).