As we have now embarked on 2025, a new wave of female athletes is making its mark across various sports. These rising stars have given us a glimpse of their greatness through their dominant performances, whether it’s in collegiate athletics, professional realms, or the international stage. These athletes are definitely ones to be on the lookout for this year!
Coco Guaff — Tennis
Starting off strong with Coco Guaff, who is undeniably a star of her own, she continues to rise as the best young American women’s tennis player since Serena Williams.
As the highest-paid women’s athlete in 2024, Guaff started her career off young at the age of 10 and in 2023 became the youngest American woman in 25 years to win the US Open title at just 19 years old.. She continues to make history with multiple brand deals, setting records, and continuously inspiring young girls that they can do anything they set their mind to! Guaff is known to be a strong social activist as well and leads as a great example of what it means to be a woman in sports.
Juju Watkins — Basketball
Watkins is no stranger when it comes to well-known collegiate athletes, but rightfully so, she continues to emerge and is a force in women’s basketball.
The University of Southern California (USC) sophomore has been setting records, becoming the first Division 1 player with at least 35 points, 5 blocks, and 5 assists in a game in the past 20 seasons and becoming the fastest Power Five women’s basketball player to reach 1,000 career points. Those are just some of her current stats, but Watkins continues to shine and showcase her elite scoring ability at USC. She is expected to be a big game-changer in the NCAA and even a potential future WNBA prospect.
Ta’Niya Latson — Basketball
Keeping on track of collegiate basketball stars… we have Ta’Niya Latson.
Shooting Guard for Florida State University (FSU), Latson currently sits as the nation's leading scorer for games in collegiate women’s basketball. As of Feb. 27, 2025, she is ranked #1 by the NCAA with 26.2 points per game and 628 points this season.
Kyrstin Johnson — Gymnastics
Photo Courtesy of Kyrstin Johnson Before transferring to Temple University, Krystin Johnson was making her mark as the first HBCU gymnast in the state of Alabama at Talladega College. Her decision to transfer came after cuts were made to the gymnastics program at Talladega College.
In her freshman year at Talladega College, Johnson was the first gymnast in history to win a national individual event title and win three top 3 places in the USAG Nationals. These accomplishments make her the only HBCU gymnast in history to win gold, silver, and bronze medals. She also made history as the first HBCU USAG Nationals Vault Champion. Johnson has made a name for herself and become an inspiration to many young athletes — especially young Black girls looking to pursue a gymnastics career one day.
With so many young talents emerging in sports, women’s athletics is shaping up to continue to grow exposure and engagement. These athletes have shown their potential and continue to grow as they shape the future of sports while setting to achieve greatness.
Edited by Naiya Dalce