Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

In Exit Interview, Marie Claire has a candid conversation with someone who’s left their job. We learn all about their experience—both the good and the bad—plus why they decided to leave and what life looks like on the other side.

Haley Carter left the Orlando Pride last year after building the club from a perennial underdog into National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) champions. Before that, Carter served as a Marine Corps officer, deployed to Iraq, played professionally in the NWSL, coached the Afghan Women’s National Team, and helped evacuate over a hundred people from Kabul when the city fell in 2021. She’s now president of soccer operations for the Washington Spirit, where she’s working to do something no women’s professional soccer team has done: break even.

For our series Exit Interview, Carter talks about building a championship system, the values she refuses to compromise on, and why she thinks the women’s game has moved well past “having a moment.”

You’ve been a Marine, a lawyer, an MBA, a player, a coach, and now a club president. How does all of that fit together?

I think when some people lay out my resumé, oftentimes they will sort of treat soccer as this surprise at the end. But I think they have it a bit backwards. Soccer has been a constant in my life and the rest is just what I bring to it. With my career, it’s really the same job in different settings and a different uniform. For 20 years, I’ve been building teams that perform under pressure. The Marine Corps taught me how to plan under uncertainty, how to build leaders. My experience in law taught me how to do deals and how to structure contracts and how risk actually works. My business experience and my MBA taught me the economics of sports. And then playing and coaching taught me what it looks and feels like from inside the locker room.

You built the Orlando Pride into champions. What did that take?

Building a system. I think external opinions and viewpoints of what happens behind the scenes can tend to isolate things. They’ll think, “Oh, well, you built a strong roster, or you had a clear identity in how you wanted to play, or you created a performance environment where players could succeed.” The reality is it wasn’t just one thing. It’s about creating a system that has a clear identity, has disciplined recruitment, and has a roster that’s constructed to a plan instead of just this wishlist. The emphasis in Orlando was: Can we get the culture right? Can we get the performance environment right? Could we start to develop this codified game model, plan, and roster construction strategy that allowed us to be successful not just in one season but in multiple seasons?

In 2021, you helped evacuate over a hundred people from Kabul, including members of the Afghan women’s team you’d coached. What did you learn from that experience?

Feeling accountable for empowering these women, and the work that we did to empower them and give them opportunities, is the very work that’s then going to threaten their lives—that is tough to struggle with. But I would say that coordinating the evacuation of those players and staff—and I will never offer it as a career highlight because I think it belongs to them and not to me—but it is the clearest answer for why I believe this work matters. We can’t forget that sport is what gave those women a team and a flag and opportunity, but it’s also what made them targets. Perspective is a hell of a drug, and being able to offer that to the people that I work with, to the athletes that I work with day in and day out, to remind them of what a privilege it is for us to get to wake up and do this every day, is truly incredible.

You’d just built a championship team in Orlando. What pulled you to Washington?

Michele Kang [Washington Spirit owner] is a force. The opportunity to work for Michele and her organization and her commitment to investing in women and women’s professional sports—not as this philanthropic effort or moral high ground to stand on, but treating it as the business it is—is exciting to me. Kynisca, our parent organization, is the first multi-team global organization built specifically around female athletes instead of just borrowing things from the men’s game. One of our big goals is to be the first National Women’s Soccer League team to break even and to run a sustainable business. I love that, because I appreciate that we’re talking about financial discipline and precision and transfer economics and these really advanced concepts in the women’s game. We’ve been asking for years to be treated as professionals, and a lot of things come with that. It’s just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

What’s the hardest part of being a woman in sports leadership right now

I’ve spent a lot of my career being the only woman in the room, whether it was in the Marine Corps, whether it was in corporate America, or here in sports. That experience shapes how I build teams now. I know what it costs when a room isn’t built for you. I know how much talent gets missed when it stays that way. So my job is to not be an exception—to make sure I’m not the last one. The biggest challenge that I see is other individuals not necessarily thinking that way. I get asked frequently, often by men: “We posted this position but no women applied for it. Where are all the women at?” Well, they’re everywhere. You have to go look for them, you have to do the work. I think the biggest challenge for me is convincing the stakeholders that are making hiring decisions to do the work to find qualified women, because they are plentiful—and then to make the investment in them once they give them the opportunity, so that we’re ensuring that we’re developing people as much as giving them opportunities.

Who do you lean on?

I have a village. I have a village of women in the game. I’ve got Lesle Gallimore, she’s the general manager in Seattle for the Reign. Amanda Vandervort, she’s the president of GameBridge Super League. Lisa Cole, she’s an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team, longtime coach, has coached internationally in developing member associations as well and brings a lot to the table in terms of international experience and commitment to values and being very serious about that. Missy Price, who works at US Club Soccer. And Yolanda Thomas is an assistant coach in Orlando. It sounds like a large circle, but it really isn’t—it’s quite tight.

What does that village do for you?

Jobs come and go, especially in women’s sports and especially at the highest level. I can get fired any time, and most of my friends have been fired at one point or another. We’ve found that it doesn’t matter what job we’re in—there will be times when we’re opponents, there will be times when we’re in adversarial positions, there will be times when we’re for interests that aren’t necessarily aligned. But our friendships remain, and I think that’s really important, and I think it’s something that’s underrated and we don’t talk enough about when we talk about successful women. There’s very few women in the world that can relate and understand what you’re going through in this industry. Having that maturity and the perspective to be able to call and know who to lean on and when to lean on them and who to embrace when you need to bring them in and help them out, I think is really important.

What are you proudest of?

Being committed to my values and leaning into those two values of service and reliability—and, even when it’s hard, sticking to that. I have a 14-year-old son and I know how much he values women athletes and women in business and women in the law, and it’s come from the work and the opportunities that I’ve had and my dedication to my values. Those values dictate how I lead and how I make decisions, even when things get hard, like when we were navigating the sexual assault and sexual harassment claims with the Afghan Football Federation with FIFA and being adversarial with the world’s governing body. Standing for the things that are right and doing it in uncomfortable ways and vocally, and sometimes being a bit outspoken and being a bit of a pariah and somewhat polarizing figure—I think I’m most proud of that. It’s been hard to get into certain rooms because of that, but the benefit of sticking to my principles and sticking to my values has come through tenfold in other ways.

Any advice you’d give your younger self—or any woman coming up behind you?

Say yes to everything that comes your way because that is what is going to open doors and opportunities, and feel really good about that. But when you get to your 40s, no is a full sentence. And feel really good about that too. Be excellent at your craft, not just present in the conversation, and be unapologetic about being excellent in your craft. Know your numbers, know your contracts, know your operations—be the person who can actually run the damn thing, and then bring people with you. I’ve had doors open for me because of other women, and I take the job of opening them for the next person just as seriously as anything else that I do. The goal should never be to be the woman who made it, but to leave a path that is wider than when you found it. And for me, that’s the part I care about the most.

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

Nothing exposes a beauty product’s weaknesses like elite competition. Think your mascara has staying power? Try wearing it through a hurdler’s world-record run. That top-rated flyaway wand? See if it keeps those baby hairs in place during a figure skater’s gravity-defying routine. Under that kind of pressure, product flaws show quickly—and successes are more notable.

Alysa Liu landed seven triple jumps in a single free skate—rotating three times in the air and leaping more than 17 inches off the ice—while her winged liner stayed razor sharp. Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone ran a world‑record 400‑meter hurdle race at nearly 18 mph, and her medium-coverage foundation looked remarkably fresh under the bright lights of the cameras. Julie Ertz played every minute of all seven games during her first World Cup win, yet kept her ponytail so sleek, she could have been starring in a hair commercial.

For women playing competitive sports, eight-hour-long wear claims are the bare minimum. These athletes aren't just pushing their bodies; they're pushing every beauty formula they wear to its breaking point. As McLaughlin‑Levrone tells me, “Beauty is part of my preparation and game‑day ritual—it’s like putting on my game face.”

So forget marketing claims: I asked some of the biggest names in women's sports what products never leave their locker room bags. There are the obvious staples like heavy duty cleansers that unclog pores and gels for slick-backs. But not every answer is about performance. Some of these athletes’ favorites were simply about the products that make getting ready a little more fun. Because somewhere between Olympic medals, championship trophies, and world records, there’s still time to obsess over a Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment.

Alysa Liu, American Figure Skater

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

The beauty products that always make it into my makeup bag, regardless of whether I’m training or competing, are a good black eyeliner (I love a smoky eye), e.l.f. Lash XTNDR Tubing Mascara, and usually a tinted lip balm or lip gloss to bring my look together. I don’t wear foundation, so I love playing with my eye makeup by creating a smoky eye with a touch of highlighter in the corners of my eyes to brighten everything up. One of my favorite body products is the Gillette Venus MoistureGlide Razor. I love it because it has two moisturizing bars, so if I’m in a rush or need a quick touch-up before a competition, I can just use water and not rely on shaving cream.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

It’s pretty simple. I like using a cleanser to wash my face, then I’ll use an eye cream, followed by a moisturizer, and I’m done. For my hair, I’ll brush it again and either put it back or leave it down, depending on what I’m feeling.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I don’t have a favorite hairstyle. I really just love any opportunity I get to be me and wear my hair down. I know my hair has made a huge impact on my fans, and I love using it for self-expression.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

This isn’t specific to being an athlete, but an eyeliner applicator that gets it perfect on each eye on the first try! Especially getting the upper lid even on both eyes.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, American Hurdler and Sprinter

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

My go-to products are Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Facial Cleansing Towelettes and Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen. Since I train outdoors for hours at a time, sunscreen is absolutely essential. The wipes are perfect for refreshing my skin and removing dirt and sweat between practices when I don't have time to fully reset at home.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

It’s made beauty feel like part of my preparation and game-day ritual. It's almost like putting on my game face. You don't have to choose between being a high-performing athlete and embracing beauty—they can absolutely coexist and complement each other.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

I love using Olaplex [products] on my hair, especially a nourishing deep conditioner after spending hours on the track. It helps bring my hair back to life and feels like the perfect reset after a long day.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

My go-to is a low slick-back bun with a middle part. I love having my hair pulled back and out of my face so I can stay focused and not have to think about it while I'm on the track.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

I'd love a completely sweat-proof blowout product. It would be amazing to train in the heat and sun without sweating out straight hair or worrying about my edges afterward.

Rose Lavelle, American Soccer Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

I would say the number one thing is SPF. I either use Shiseido or Versed, which my U.S. Women’s National Team teammate Emily Fox put me on to. Post-training, after I've washed my face and showered, I like to put on Avène Cicalfate. It's supposed to help restore your skin barrier, which I feel like I need after I've been sweating, in the sun, and covered in dirt and grime.

I also always have Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Beija Flor in my bag. That's my little scent that I spritz before and after training. A little random, but I always have Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment with me as well.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

A couple of things about being a professional athlete have affected my approach to skincare. First, I'm very habitual about it. I have a morning routine and a night routine that I do not stray from. I do it every single day. That's just the athlete in me.

The other part is being in a sport where I'm playing outside in the sun, rolling around in the grass and dirt, sweating a lot, and getting plenty of grime on my face. It has made me take my skincare very seriously. Making sure I protect my skin from the sun and keep it clean and refreshed after training or games is really important.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

For my skin, I like to double cleanse just to make extra sure I'm getting all the sweat and grime off my face. I really like the Melting Balm Cleanser from BYOMA, and I use La Roche-Posay's Vitamin C Brightening Facial Cleanser.

When I'm out of the shower, I use Avène Cicalfate again. It's really moisturizing, and I feel like I need it after a long, sweaty day. Then I'll put on Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer. It's super light and made with simple ingredients, and I feel like it works really well on my face.

For my hair, I really like OUAI shampoo and conditioner, specifically their Detox Shampoo. I use it all the time because I feel like it really gets the sweat and grime out of my hair. When I get out of the shower, I use Lush Super Milk, which is a leave-in conditioner. It smells so good. I also recently tried a new product from Crown Affair—their Smoothing Air Dry Cream—and I've been liking it a lot. My hair gets dry and frizzy, so between the two, they help add moisture and define my curls and waves a little more. I also love K18 products. Their Molecular Repair Hair Oil is really helpful for adding moisture back into my hair after it's been out in the sun and sweaty.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I’m pretty boring with my gameday hairstyle. I literally just put my hair in a ponytail and put pre-wrap on. It's nothing special. The important piece is the pre-wrap because I have a lot of flyaways that need to be tamed.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

There may already be this product, and I just haven't discovered it yet, but I feel like a lot of us like to slick our hair back when we put it in a ponytail. The gels and waxes we use to tame flyaways and make it look cleaner aren't necessarily great for our hair.

I want a dual-purpose hair mask that can slick back my hair and tame flyaways while also serving as a leave-in treatment. That way, my hair is actually getting a little treatment while I’m running around. Then, when I shower, I wouldn’t have this big, sweaty, tangled mess. Instead, it would be like washing out a nourishing hair mask, and my hair would be left feeling soft and healthy.

Lexie Hull, American Basketball Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

Honestly, my bag is a little window into my world—who I am, what I stand for, and the whole reason I built FORTA Cosmetics, where performance and beauty meet. The constants are lip balm (I'm always testing new ones), hair ties, and a mini brush. Then there's my post-practice bag: face lotion, deodorant, concealer, brow gel, blush, and mascara. But none of it means anything without my FORTA Lock & Go Setting Spray because none of it actually lasts without it. I'm a professional athlete, so I'm constantly sweating, and Lock & Go is what holds everything in place through an entire workout. Like I always say, you don't have to sit still to look pretty. That's exactly why we built it. It's the product I always wished existed.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

People don't realize how much beauty actually matters when you're an athlete. Between the travel, the cameras, and the recovery, your skin takes a beating, and you still want to look good because looking good is part of feeling ready to compete.

Every product in my bag has to earn its spot. My routine is faster, more functional, and more skin-focused—built for my real lifestyle. The biggest thing I've learned is that real confidence comes from feeling healthy, capable, and completely put together, no matter what the day throws at me.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

The biggest thing is getting everything clean and hydrated again. I always remove my makeup, cleanse, and reach for products that calm inflammation and bring moisture back.

In the shower, I use a gentle CeraVe cleanser. Once I'm out, I use a complexion pad to get my skin extra clean, then follow up with Weleda Skin Food. Hairwise, I usually wear a slicked-back look with a headband for games and practice, so afterward I'll either wash it or keep it slicked back and add more leave-in treatment, since I'm often right back at it for another session.

That reset is as much mental as it is physical. Clean skin, fresh start, ready for whatever's next.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

I have really long, thick hair, so keeping it secure and out of my face without damaging it is a constant battle. I always wear a pre-wrap headband, which keeps my hair off my face while still making me feel confident and put together.

For bigger events or career moments, I usually lean toward soft waves because they feel a little more elevated while still feeling like me. It also lets me show a different side of myself than the one people see on the court.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

That question is what drove the creation of FORTA. A true performance beauty category never really existed before. There just weren't products built for the way active women actually live.

I wanted something that could handle sweat, heat, movement, travel, and long days without sacrificing how it feels on your skin. So I built it, and then I put it to the test—about 30 rounds of testing—through my own training and across the wide range of skin tones and skin types in the WNBA.

That's what it took to make Lock & Go what it is. But it's just the start. We have more products on the way, all built on the same idea: beauty that performs as hard as athletes do, so they can show up fully and express themselves, whether that's on the court or anywhere else life takes them.

Julie Ertz, Former American Soccer Player

What beauty products always make it into your locker room bag—and why can’t you live without them?

Medicube PDRN Pink Niacinamide Whip Cleanser is the face wash I'm using right now. I love trying new products, and this one stuck with me. Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara—there's nothing like a boost of confidence from your mascara. Look good, feel good, play good. For skin tint, my two favorites are Ilia and IT Cosmetics. Something with good SPF and a little tint always picks me up. I also never travel without my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask because dry lips are a no-go. A beauty influencer got me addicted to these Bessrung Nylon Hair Ties from Amazon that come in a pack of 100. They never break, and I love how they hold my hair. For deodorant, I use Just Ingredients. And when it comes to pimple patches, I have every brand. They make it easy to take care of blemishes fast.

How has being a professional athlete changed the way you approach beauty?

Being an athlete reinforces confidence in who you are. If you like something and enjoy it, who cares what others think?

I love that I could be strong on the field while also expressing my feminine side through makeup and clothes. Because we're constantly on the go, it's also forced me to perfect my 10 to 15-minute routine.

After a long, sweaty day at work, what's your go-to routine for resetting your skin and hair?

A new addition to my bag was recommended by my dermatologist: Hydrinity Hyacyn Active Purifying Mist. It helps kill bacteria and refreshes my skin after a workout. For my hair, I reach for either a boar-bristle brush or my Wet Brush, depending on how hard my workout was, plus Vegamour GRO Dry Shampoo.

What's your favorite hairstyle for game day?

High ponytail, baby—with some volume. I just loved the routine of getting ready for a game.

Is there a beauty product you wish existed to solve a common athlete skin or hair dilemma?

When you're practicing or playing in the rain, your hair becomes one giant knot if it's in a ponytail or bun. I need a spray or serum that stops the 45-minute comb session it takes to undo all those tangles.

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

Tuning into Wimbledon this July or the US Open in September, nail-biting rallies and contested match points won't be the only things competing for your attention. Between the diamond earrings flashing during post-match interviews and the namesake bracelets visible in every close-up serve, tennis players' jewelry stacks have become almost as iconic as their backhand swings.

This has always been the game for athletes who take style seriously. (Try thinking of another activity with an entire jewelry category named after it—you can’t.) According to Sunita Kumar Nair, author of Ace: The Times and Style of Tennis, it's almost engineered to be a testing ground for high impact, high-shine pieces. "It is one of the rare sports where there's no contact," she says, "As soon as that happens, there's an immediate appeal for a fashion moment."

In this arena, pros put in hours of work to assemble a jewelry stack that's both personal and hardworking (sweat-resistant, lightweight, and most of all, secure). “I had to test out a few different styles before finding the perfect combination of length and weight—chipping a couple of teeth in the process,” says U.S. pro Hailey Baptiste.

For those of us who aren't competing for a major title, athletes' on-court jewelry is the blueprint for an elite summer stack. Whether they're modeling a traditional tennis bracelet or an advanced necklace trio, players like Emma Navarro say the right pieces "make you feel like you can do everything you want to do." Ahead, get acquainted with the four Grand Slam jewelry essentials worth styling on and off the court.

The All-Timer Tennis Bracelet

1970s tennis stars including Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals were among the first to wear diamond bracelets on the court. But it wasn't until Chris Evert lost hers in the middle of a 1978 U.S. Open match that the term "tennis bracelet" was born.

In the nearly 50 years since, legends of the sport and professional spectators alike have built their wrist stacks around a thin strand of diamonds (or several). Today's tennis pros tend to take one of two styling routes: letting those delicate pavé diamonds shine on their own or stacking them alongside chain-link bracelets in coordinating metals. Baptiste even personalized hers with multicolor stones to commemorate a win against the world No. 1 in Madrid last year. "It felt like the perfect way to celebrate a milestone while staying true to my style," she says. If you're ready to commemorate a win of your own, try an option personalized by your birthstone or a trio of letter charms.

The Statement Earring Stack

If you think a diamond stud is too small to get noticed on the big screens at Arthur Ashe Stadium, think again. "People see your ears more than you think they do, I guess, because I always get compliments on my ear stack," Navarro says. "That's probably what I like accessorizing the most."

Whether players have ten piercings like Navarro or wear a single pair of hoops like Coco Gauff, they tend to start their earring stacks with an unmissable solitaire diamond stud or huggie hoop. From there, players with multiple piercings often opt for smaller, lightweight hoops hoops or cluster studs that combine different shapes. The strategy is equal parts fashion and function with universal appeal. It scales up the gradient of an earring stack without wearing you down, whether you're running around the court or just running errands.

The Center Court Necklace

Some players leave the necklines of their Nike or New Balance tank tops bare. Then there are players like current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who recently arrived at the French Open wearing a custom Material Good collar featuring more than 200 carats of diamonds and garnets. Whether layered in multiples or styled as a single strand, adorned with precious gems or sculpted from hard metals, these tennis necklaces serve the same purpose: bringing players' personalities onto the court.

On or off the court, U.S. player Amanda Anisimova says the appeal of her Tiffany Hardware necklaces is the same: "I like items that are versatile, that I can wear on the court, in the media room, to dinner," she says. For an everyday stack that glistens like hers, try matching a gold or silver pendant to the metallic base of a classic tennis necklace.

The Game-Winning Watch

When the final points are called and tournament trophies are hauled to center court, match winners often slip one extra piece onto their wrists: a five- or even six-figure timepiece. On the one hand, last-minute investment watch styling is an opportunity for sponsors—Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and TAG Heuer among them—to get their picture-perfect shout-out without the threat of a rogue backhand shattering the watch face. On the other, these additions to a wrist stack are reminders of tennis' rarified roots and profile boosts for the players themselves. "Putting the watch on afterward sends this message of high, high luxury," Kumar Nair says.

When you're playing singles, only one person can be the winner—and they look the part with a diamond-encrusted timepiece glistening on their wrist. Of course, no one says you have to compete to earn one of the investment-worthy watches below. Non-sporty special occasions are just as deserving of a splurge with heirloom potential. (Plus, they'll stack so neatly with one of the tennis bracelets already dangling off your wrist.)

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

Moments before WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the Dallas Wings' first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the room fell silent. Then came the name everyone had been waiting for: Azzi Fudd.

The cheers that followed marked more than the start of a professional career. Fudd enters the league at a moment when women's basketball is influencing conversations far beyond the court. As the sport reaches new levels of visibility, tunnel walks have become fashion showcases, NIL has introduced athletes to luxury brands earlier than ever, and players are increasingly shaping identities that are transcending the game.

Fudd's own relationship with fashion evolved alongside that shift. Growing up, getting dressed was about practicality. Today, it's another way she introduces herself to the world. Here, Fudd shares how her style has taken shape, the designers she's gravitating toward, and what getting dressed looks like during her rookie season.

On Finding Her Point of View

I've always paid attention to fashion, but my taste has definitely evolved. As a kid, it was all about basketball, so comfort came first—it was just about throwing something on and heading out.

I started having fun with my style when I started working with different brands, meeting stylists and creatives on set, and being exposed to more people in the industry. As I've gotten older, I've started to appreciate culture and fashion. Now, it's part of how I present myself.

On How She Chooses to Show Up

Right now there’s a lot being thrown at me as a rookie, so I’ve been leaning on what I know best. But I want people to see that you don’t have to fit into one box. Some days I want to be in cozy streetwear, other days I want a tailored look or full glam. I think style should reflect every side of who you are and how you’re feeling that day.

Fashion has helped athletes show people who we are beyond the court. It’s a way to show our personalities and tunnel walks have become a big part of that. They’re fun, but they also add another dimension to the game and to who we are. Fans watch us compete, but now they also see how we dress and what we’re passionate about.

Shop Fudd's Off-Court Style

My generation grew up with social media, so we’ve always been exposed to fashion, music, art, and culture all at once. Athletes today understand that personal branding and self-expression matter, and fashion is a huge part of that. That was exactly how I approached the WNBA Draft.

That night was one of the biggest moments of my life, so I wanted a look that felt timeless but still personal. Working with Coach was special because the design felt authentic to me [Fudd wore a custom look featuring a silver sequined dress layered over a black lace corset]. It was elegant, modern, and confident without trying too hard. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate that moment.

Copy Fudd's Coach Look

On the Names Inspiring Her

I've always been inspired by Skylar Diggins' style in the league—I love her fits. I also really love how my teammates Paige [Bueckers] and AC [Kaitlyn Chen] dress. They have a unique style that is truly their own, and I always love seeing what they will wear in the tunnel.

I've also been really into the designers I've been wearing lately: Monse, Tanner Fletcher, Acne, and PH5. They all have a really cool mix of fun streetwear and pieces you can dress up and down.

Build Your Wardrobe With Fudd's Favorite Brands

On Her North Star

Always wear what is true to you. If you like it, wear it. Don’t take it too seriously, and don’t be afraid to experiment and take risks.

When I’m dressing for a game, I really just want to be as comfortable as possible. There’s always some pressure when more people are paying attention, but I try not to focus on it. My goal is always to stay true to myself. My stylist, Sydnee Paige, and I curated a lot of looks before the season, so I usually gravitate toward one of them based on how I’m feeling as I head into the game. A great pair of sneakers is non-negotiable. I’m not sure if people have noticed, but I’ve worn a different pair of Jordans in almost all of my tunnel fits.

Step Into Fudd's Tunnel Fit

On the court, I want to be remembered as someone who competed at the highest level and helped advance the game. Off the court, I want people to see someone who inspires confidence, authenticity, and self-belief.

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.

From Serena Williams returning to tennis to the World Cup and ESPN’s new series, Women’s Sports Sundays, sports of all stripes are playing point this summer. Lucky for sports fans and bibliophiles alike, it doesn’t end there. In recent years, sports romance books have vaulted onto our bookshelves, and the subgenre has won over readers with its diverse characters, high stakes, and palpable tension.

Sports romance has become the MVP of the book world for the better part of the past decade. Titles like The Deal by Elle Kennedy, which was self-published to viral success in 2015, arguably put the trend on the map. The book found renewed interest on #BookTok, inspiring Prime Video to adapt it and the rest of Kennedy’s Briar U series into the hit TV show Off Campus—and now it’s just one of the many series about smitten athletes topping best-sellers lists. In fact, sports romance is among the fastest-growing niches, and one of the top subgenres that’s made romance novels outpace the book sales of all other genres on the market, per 2025 Circa Bookscan data.

So, what is it about these books that leaves readers pining for more? For one, authors of sport romances are the Simone Biles of trope-maxxing. These writers barely break a sweat as they layer familiar plot devices with the extra intensity of risking everything—be it one’s career, sport, or dream—for love. This couldn’t be more evident than in Rachel Reid’s hit Game Changers series, the hockey-romance books that inspired the phenomenon that is Heated Rivalry. Here, familiar tropes like enemies-to-lovers and forbidden love are whipped into a tizzy with high-stakes competition and a hidden romance, earning a gold medal from readers across platforms like Goodreads, #BookTok, Bookstagram, and even IRL, as the genre’s inspired everything from game day watch parties to conventions.

Whether you’re new to the subgenre or a seasoned reader, a fan of soccer, football, or figure skating—or honestly, just love a good romance—there are so many options to enjoy. Below, discover the best sports romance books that hit a home run with their spicy scenes, lovable characters, and capital-T Tension.

Everyone keeps saying women’s sports are having a moment. But it’s more than that. On and off the court, women’s sports are changing culture, conversations, and even our personal style. For Marie Claire’s Women in Sports series, we talk to the athletes, executives, and industry vets who are at the top of their game.

The first thing you should know is that ANDMOM isn’t that kind of parenting podcast. When Skylar Diggins, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, and Cassidy Hubbarth, a celebrated sports journalist, teamed up to launch the show, they knew they wanted something different.

“There's a lot of parenting podcasts out there trying to tell you how to do the right things for your kids,” Hubbarth says. But with their podcast, the pair wanted to create a place that felt specifically for mothers. Think of it “like a nipple cream” Diggins adds. Which is to say: a place where mothers can take a breath, sit back, and feel relief in the company of other women who are sharing similar experiences.

While the podcast’s guests are all athletes—Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson discussing postpartum recovery; WNBA legend Lisa Leslie sharing details of her C-section—Diggins and Hubbarth believe any mother listening will find experiences that they can relate to, especially when it comes to the intersection of ambition and motherhood. Here, they share what else listeners can expect to hear.

What inspired you both to launch ANDMOM?

Cassidy Hubbarth: The idea for ANDMOM really just came from realizing how many women—especially women in demanding and visible careers—are carrying these huge emotional shifts around motherhood, oftentimes quietly. When our executive producer, Christine, brought this idea to me—Sky was brought on first—it immediately hit home. The big thing is that we wanted to try and have conversations that felt less filtered, more human.

What interested me wasn't just motherhood itself; it was basically the collision between motherhood and identity. I think that's what we really want this podcast to be: It's people exploring what their identity is before parenthood, during parenthood, during pregnancy, all of that, and what that means. I think women are oftentimes exhausted by perfection narratives, so I think the point of this podcast is the nuance. The nuance is the point, and that's where the passion for this podcast lies.

Skylar Diggins: To add onto that, I think when you're starting to explore these spaces, we never really have had access to these conversations, as far as the juxtaposition of motherhood and our lives in the sports world. And so, it really was also about what we weren't hearing, either. You know, sometimes you do feel isolated.

Where did the title of the podcast come from?

SD: Well, motherhood just kind of always seems like an asterisk, doesn't it? We'll say all these other things that we are, and then it's like, And I'm a mom. We say it so casually.

And it's like, no, I'm a translator, I'm a navigator, I'm a chauffeur, I'm a chef, I'm the doctor sometimes. So motherhood can feel like an asterisk at times, but it's also so many things that we embody.

CH: Yeah, and I think what Sky said, it's like, you see, I'm a leader, I'm an Olympian, I’m a seven-time All-Star—I'm not saying my credentials, I'm saying Sky's credentials—but I’m a mom. So I also feel like it’s shining a light on the struggle with identifying with that. As mothers, you can deeply love motherhood, but also still grieve the parts of your old identity sometimes, like I'm a mom, and I'm so much more than just one identity.

You mentioned that there were conversations around motherhood you felt we weren’t having, especially around identity and ambition. What conversations do you think are missing?

SD: I think it’s more about we don’t limit, you know? We talk about the IVF process and all the factors that come into that; we talk about having a doula, midwifery, we walk through all of those options. We’ve talked about tearing; some of these topics that I haven't just heard casually talked about in that scope.

It's amazing when you feel comfortable, and you feel vulnerable enough to share some of these experiences, what you learn woman to woman. It's all about perspective. To hear about mom guilt and giving people grace and telling people to give grace to themselves—it's just amazing to see and to hear about all the stories and the journeys, while also navigating once-in-a-lifetime careers for all of our guests.

CH: Parenthood, and particularly motherhood, can be very lonely at times. There's a lot of voices in your head, but sometimes you need to hear outside voices identify something that you may be going through. We interviewed Brittney Griner, and we talked to her about her IVF journey and picking a donor for their baby, what that was like, and how she thought it was only going to be lesbian couples in the waiting room. She was like, ‘Oh, straight couples go through this too.’

I've used these situations to help my own battle—having an only child because of my issues with being able to get pregnant again—and it helps me hear other people's stories, their struggles, and how they've overcome it.

SD: We have these conversations and these topics are really not cherry-picked. We have these things that we want to cover, but we really don't steer too much. We really allow it to be driven by whoever we're talking to. It’s really conversational. Our guests are sharing, and that's what the space is about, that vulnerability and being able to feel safe in those spaces.

How did motherhood impact your own careers, and your sense of identity and ambition?

SD: I had my son in 2019. I was playing for the Dallas Wings at the time. I got pregnant that summer and I played through that summer—I actually led the league in minutes that summer. It's just insane to think about. But that was seven years ago; I was younger then and in the prime of my career. Our CBA [collective bargaining agreement]—all our rules and regulations and standards that are written between the league and the players; that's what we were fighting for this year, to get increased salaries and increased revenue share and we got a new one—back then didn't have any protections if you got pregnant, so I didn't say anything about my pregnancy. I didn't tell anybody on the team, coaches, medical staff, or teammates, that I was pregnant. I played through the year.

I had a horrible first trimester. I’d throw up before practice, while playing in games, but I didn't say anything. I could potentially be at risk as far as missing out on money; you could get half your money.

Eventually, we put in a Skylar Clause in our CBA, and it was to protect the mothers, who when you're pregnant, get guaranteed money if you're promised that. You get all the money that you're owed, and then as far as resources and things like that, providing a room, a space to pump, because I was breastfeeding my son, like, in the locker room.

I feel blessed that I was able to do that. I sat out a maternity year with my daughter, but I felt like I got to see the league from a different lens, you know, as a mother and what that meant, and how I could impact the league as far as what was missing for resources for women and childbearing people.

That definitely changed my perspective, having kids, having them at the peak of my career, navigating, bouncing back, and how I could affect the league from that perspective.

CH: Another constant theme that keeps coming up is that our peak fertility years are the same as our peak performance years. Sky missed out on two years of her peak performance years; it's a little different when I explain my peak performance years. I did feel like my career, right before I had my daughter, was in a fast-moving, forward, evolving point. I was scared out of my mind once I got pregnant. I think I was overwhelmed with emotions to the point where I hid my pregnancy, because I was scared of how becoming a mother would be perceived by my bosses.

I was trying to control everything, because everything up until that point, it was my career, my husband, my career, just keep one foot in front of the other. And then, knowing that I was pregnant, and what it was doing to my mind, body, and soul—everything was out of control.

My pregnancy was fairly easy physically, but mentally, I put myself through the wringer. I only knew my life before motherhood. I didn't yet understand, becoming a mom wouldn't erase all of that. It would deepen who I was, and my understanding of what was most important helped me prioritize, but it definitely took a while to kind of center myself.

Given that the premise of the podcast is unfiltered conversations, how did you both decide how much of your personal experiences you felt comfortable sharing?

CH: Both Sky and I were pretty private in terms of sharing pictures or videos of our children. We both grew up in the social media era and we've seen a lot over the years—the benefits of social media and some of the dangers of it. What we try to do is just protect our children's digital footprint. I'm someone who feels like we're on the verge of a privacy revolution and I don't want to put my daughter's face out there. I'm very selective in what I share in terms of visuals.

It's interesting, me being a reporter, because a lot of it is based on what kind of conversations I can have with people and gain trust. I'm a terrible small talker. But if you want to go in deep conversation, I'll meet you and I'll go all the way there. I’ll get deep with someone to understand them and see how their heart ticks. And so, I think these conversations have been pretty natural for me, because they speak more to how I like to relate to people.

I'm in a stage of parenthood where I've now developed a lot of parenting friends and so a lot of my conversation outside of work is just about motherhood. I think it's just been a natural progression that doesn't feel awkward, or really even that vulnerable, even when I talk about my insecurities with my daughter being an only child and trying to get over that regret or guilt or whatever, I think I feel some sort of relief even saying that out loud, because I feel like it just needs to go somewhere, rather than just stay in my head or in my heart.

It's a long answer to say it's been fairly therapeutic to do this podcast for me, and hopefully for those who have been our guests, and possibly for those who are listening.

SD: Along the lines of privacy, Cassidy and I share commonality. I think we're so exposed to criticism and ridicule and comments and things like that. We have very thick skin because of our line of work, what we've done, how we've done it, and how many people have opinions on those things that aren't always positive. I think we just refuse to expose what we cherish so much to some of that ridicule and negative response. But it doesn't stop us from telling these stories.

It's been therapeutic for me. I feel good when we finish these podcasts. When we get off of these calls, I don't know—it seems so simple, but I just feel good. I feel good in my spirit. I'm like, Yeah, like, I learned something today. I had a meaningful conversation with somebody today.

Have there been any stories from guests that have surprised or deeply affected you?

CH: Our episode with Lisa Leslie speaks a little to what Skylar was talking about. Lisa didn't have any resources and she decided to walk away from the game at the time that she started her family, so she kind of had to make that choice. When we think of Lisa, she represents excellence, visibility, Hall of Fame. I think hearing her discuss motherhood added an entirely different dimension to her story.

Kerri Walsh Jennings, she talked a lot about how her and her husband really struggled. They really had a hard time with their marriage. Allie LaForce, her story was actually very—I don't even know how to describe it, because her husband has a genetic disorder, and they don't know if her kids would have gotten it if she didn't use IVF. It was a whole journey of figuring out what they needed to do. Understanding that every family is different is a lesson that we take away from these conversations.

SD: ​​Dearica Hamby was an amazing conversation, just hearing her kind of tell her story, how she navigated—she is only the second woman in WNBA history to come back from multiple pregnancies and play; she didn't miss any games, didn't take a maternity leave. We had our kid at the same time. I took a year off. She played 40 games and appeared in every game. And just to hear her talk about her journey navigating what she had to go through with her last pregnancy, and being traded while pregnant, and kind of navigating her experiences there.

You're obviously speaking to women in sports. But what do you hope women and mothers who aren't athletes get out of the show?

CH: At the end of the day, I hope women listen to ANDMOM and feel less alone in the complexity in whatever it is that may be weighing heavy on their heart. The goal of this podcast is not perfection, right? It's basically recognition, allowing people to hear stories and say, Oh, you felt that too?

There's a lot of parenting podcasts out there trying to tell you how to do the right things for your kids. This podcast is kind of like, in that baby shower, you get all those gifts for the baby, right? This is that silk pajamas set for the mom. This is for the moms to have a little TLC.

SD: I cried a fistful of tears when I spilled my first bottle of breast milk. Like, a fistful of tears. That isn't sports-specific or athlete-specific. That breaks a lot of barriers and boxes, and even cultural mismatches. Mothers understand that.

For the most part, a lot of our stories are not specific to women in sport, but women in general; it's just human beings having conversations, and so I think that's relevant across the board, whether you think you want to become a mother, whether you are, whether you're a support mom, whether you're a guardian. It’s things for everybody that they can take away from the podcast. I think it's just through the lens of people that you don't necessarily get to hear that side all the time, and so that's what I think is refreshing.

This is the nipple cream, you know what I’m saying?