Top 10 women's sports stories for 2009
Happy New Year.
Before we get too far into 2010, let's take a final look at some of the biggest women's sports stories of 2009.
10. Big move: Locally, the Chicago Sky made a big move by announcing a few months ago that it will be moving to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, beginning with the 2010 season. Having played its first four seasons at the UIC Pavilion before smaller-than-hoped-for crowds, the Sky is banking on a new location, which sits in the heart of its target demographic (suburban families), to spur more ticket sales.
9. Chicago seeing red: In March, the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Soccer league kicked off with teams in seven cities. The Chicago Red Stars, who play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, wrapped up their first season with a 5-10-5 record but placed three players (Cristiane, Megan Rapinoe and Brittany Klein) in the WPS all-star game. Their 2010 home opener is set for April 17.
8. Solheim in Sugar Grove: Some of the top golfers in the world descended on the Chicago area in August for the Solheim Cup, the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup. The top golfers from the United States defeated those from Europe in a lively and well-attended event that brought plenty of excitement to Sugar Grove and the Rich Harvest Farms course.
7. Say what, Serena? At the U.S. Open in September, Serena Williams had, shall we say, a bit of a moment. After a call that didn't go her way, the star tennis player threw a fit and got in the face of a line judge, using a few choice words along the way.
Williams, who reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis over the past season, was fined a record $82,500 for her outburst and could be suspended from the event in the future if she commits another major infraction in the next two years.
6. WNBA highs & lows: This summer, the WNBA season closed on a high note when the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever staged a thrilling championship series that saw the Mercury win in the fifth and final game. Viewership for the WNBA Finals soared 63 percent from the season before.
Of course, the excitement generated by that news was quickly tempered by the reality facing the Detroit Shock. The three-time WNBA champions announced in October that they were moving to Tulsa in order to avoid liquidation. More recently, the Sacramento Monarchs, WNBA champions in 2005, folded, which is what the Houston Comets did barely 12 months prior.
5. Parker a parent: Former Naperville Central star Candace Parker made headlines off the court this year when she gave birth to her first child, daughter Lailaa, in May. The 23-year-old Parker missed the first part of the 2009 WNBA season, but amazingly managed to return to action about seven weeks postpartum. She led the L.A. Sparks to the Western Conference Finals.
4. No Conn-test: The Connecticut women's basketball team left little doubt which team was the best in the country when it rolled over Louisville for the national title in early May, 76-54. The victory gave the Huskies their sixth championship in 15 years and put the punctuation mark on a 39-0 season. It was the third undefeated season in school history. Connecticut was also an undefeated national champion in 1995 and 2002.
3. So long, Lisa: The WNBA said goodbye to one of its cornerstone players in Lisa Leslie, who retired after 12 years in the league.
One of the founding members of the WNBA, Leslie leaves the league as its all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She was a three-time league most valuable player and was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. She led the Sparks to nine playoff berths and two WNBA titles. Also a four-time Olympic champion, Leslie will now focus her energies on her children. She has a daughter and is pregnant with her second child, a son.
2. Drive for five: Northwestern lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller now has a ring for each finger, and her thumb. In May, the Wildcats continued their amazing streak by winning their fifth straight national championship. They routed North Carolina in the title game, 21-7. The incredible senior class, led by Hannah Nielsen and Hilary Bowen, amassed an 84-3 career record and put together one undefeated season. The 2009 Wildcats finished 23-0.
1. Lady Lions roar: How amazing is the Penn State women's volleyball team? The Lady Lions became the first women's volleyball team in NCAA history to win three straight national championships last month, and overcame some serious odds to do so.
Penn State was down 2-0 in the best-of-five-games championship match to Texas. The top-ranked and undefeated Lady Lions would not fold and rallied to knot the match at 2-2. Then they showed all kinds of guts and toughness in pulling out an intense, back-and-forth final game, 15-13. The victory extended Penn State's winning streak to 102 straight matches.