From breaking glass ceilings to breaking viewership records, here's a timeline of the top women's sports moments of 2020
2020 has been an unprecedented year on many fronts, and women's sports are no exception.
From the Marlins' Kim Ng and the 49ers' Katie Sowers to Vanderbilt's Sarah Fuller and Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu, women in sports shattered glass ceilings and achieved countless firsts this year.
The NWSL made history as the first league back during the pandemic, the WNBA made waves through its social justice initiatives, and both leagues excelled in viewership metrics.
Breanna Stewart, Sophia Popov, and Tiana Mangakahia enjoyed epic and heartwarming comebacks, and many athletes reached major milestones in their sports.
Check out Insider's timeline of 2020's top moments in women's sports below:
January 14: The WNBA and WNBPA reach agreement on a new CBA that increases player salaries, ensures maternity leave, and improves marketing and travel for the league
January 16: San Francisco Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken becomes the first female to join an MLB coaching staff in league history
January 29: Canada's Christine Sinclair becomes the worldwide all-time leading scorer among men and women with her 185th international goal
February 2: Carli Lloyd kicks a field goal in Super Bowl commercial
February 2: San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers becomes the first woman - and first out LGBTQ individual - to coach during the Super Bowl
February 24: Sabrina Ionescu makes history as the first college player - man or woman - to accrue 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in her career mere hours after eulogizing Kobe and Gigi Bryant
March 21: Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird make the most of COVID-19 quarantine by starting Instagram Live series "A Touch More"
June 27: The NWSL became the first professional domestic contact sports league to return to action after the COVID-19 pandemic with the start of the 2020 Challenge Cup
Read more: Sorry, MLS, the NWSL is actually the first professional contact sports league to return in the US
July 1: WNBA superstar Maya Moore reunites with Jonathan Irons after pausing her basketball career to help overturn his wrongful conviction
July 21: Alyssa Nakken becomes the first woman to coach on the field during an MLB game
July 21: The NWSL announces that Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, and more than a dozen women's soccer icons have joined a star-studded ownership group for a league expansion team in LA
July 26: The underdog Houston Dash win the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup
August 4: WNBA players openly endorse Rev. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's Senate race to rebel against Kelly Loeffler, a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream
August 21: WNBA legend Diana Taurasi told referees "I'll see you in the lobby later" in response to a foul call she didn't like
August 23: 304th-ranked Sophia Popov wins AIG Women's British Open after losing tour card, battling Lyme disease, and nearly quitting professional golf
August 23: Diana Taurasi dropped 34 points on Kobe Bryant's birthday while wearing the late legend's name and number
September 9: NWSL and Japan national team star Yuki Nagasato becomes the first female soccer star to play professionally with a men's club
September 10: Victoria Azarenka caps historic post-motherhood career resurgence by besting Serena Williams in the US Open semifinal
September 12: Naomi Osaka wins the US Open after wearing masks honoring victims of police brutality while taking the court for each of her seven matches
September 16: Phoenix Mercury's Shey Peddy nails a buzzer-beating three to eliminate the Washington Mystics from the WNBA playoffs just weeks after the team cut her
October 1: Legendary point guard Sue Bird sets WNBA single-game playoffs record with 16 assists in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals
October 5: Manchester United jerseys for USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press outsold all of the players on the men's side
October 6: Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart completes epic comeback by earning WNBA Finals MVP honors just 18 months after tearing her Achilles
October 6: WNBA successfully completes 2020 season without a COVID-19 outbreak thanks to "Wubble" in Bradenton, Florida
October 8: Future USWNT star Catarina Macario earns her first national team call up and becomes a US citizen on the same day
October 16: NWSL ratings were reported to have increased 493% year-over-year
October 30: Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announce their engagement
November 13: Kim Ng becomes the first female general manager in MLB history
November 18: Diana Taurasi made a surprise NBA Draft appearance, subtly promoting the WNBA on one of basketball's biggest stages
November 27: Kristie Mewis scores and plays alongside sister, Sam, in first USWNT appearance in 6 years
November 27: Former kindergarten teammates Sophia Smith and Jaelin Howell earn first USWNT caps on the same day
November 28: Sarah Fuller becomes the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game
November 29: Syracuse basketball star Tiana Mangakahia returns to the court after breast cancer, chemotherapy, and a double mastectomy derailed her senior season
December 1: USWNT players secure similar resources and accommodations as the men's team through a settlement with US Soccer Federation
December 12: Sarah Fuller becomes the first woman to score in a Power 5 college football game
December 13: Stanford Cardinal star Fran Belibi becomes the first DI women's college basketball player to dunk in a game since 2013
December 14: Sports Business Journal names the WNBA's iconic orange hoodie the best fashion statement of 2020
Source: Sports Business Journal
December 30: Becky Hammon becomes the first woman head coach in NBA history after Gregg Popovich was ejected early in a Spurs game against the Lakers
Now check out Insider's 50 best soccer players in the world in 2020:
The 50 best soccer players in the world in 2020
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