More than 50 years after
the Original Nine of
women’s pro tennis signed
symbolic $1 contracts
and changed sports
history forever, the battle
for pay equity in sports
continues—and the
baton has been passed to
paid equally to the men’s
team, they vowed to drag
soccer to the right side of
history.
Standing on the
shoulders of the 1999ers—
legends like Julie Foudy,
Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly,
Brandi Chastain, and the
team that put soccer in
the national spotlight—
Megan, Becky, and Alex
led their teammates to a
historic victory and backed
it up with their world-
class performance on
the fi eld. After a six-year
legal battle, they secured
a $24 million settlement
and the acknowledgment
of discrimination—and in
May agreed to a landmark
contract that guarantees
equal pay and prize money.
It was the biggest win
of their lives. And some-
thing tells me they are not
done yet.
King is the founder of the
Women’s Sports Foundation
and the Women’s Tennis
Association
Megan Rapinoe, Becky
Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan,
and the U.S. Women’s
National Soccer Team.
These women have
shown up and spoken
up. When they were
not recognized for their
accomplishments, and not
Megan Rapinoe, Becky
Sauerbrunn & Alex Morgan
Game changers
BY BILLIE JEAN KING
IMAGES; MORGAN SOURCE PHOTO: DONALD MIRALLE—GETTY IMAGES; BANKMAN-FRIED: LAM YIK FEI—THE NEW YORK TIM ES/REDUXRAPINOE SOURCE PHOTO: LAURENCE GRIFFITHS—GETTY IMAGES; SAUERBRUNN SOURCE PHOTO: BRAD SMITH—ISI PHOTOS/GETTY
