2015 Sportsperson of the Year and Most Important Moments in Sports

Publisher’s Note:

Maya Moore has been a thrill to watch over the years, and it’s an honor to celebrate her winning ways as this year’s REAL SPORTS Sportsperson of the Year.

This year’s Most Important Moment is the calling out of the inability of the WNBA to gain traction since its founding 19 years ago. The WNBA, as the most globally visible team sport, has yet to find its groove. The timing of Adam Silver’s comments deflated some, but if women’s sports fans are truly reflective, they will see the truth in his words. A fresh approach is needed to enable the WNBA to thrive on its own terms, where it can be a profitable league while also serving as a mission-driven organization.

View the 2015 Top 10 Most Important Moments in Sports and Tribute to Maya Moore, 
REAL SPORTS 2015 Sportsperson of the Year Poster

The next president will inherit a league that has lost its relevance to all but its most-staunch fans and one that is wrestling with the public words of Gilbert Arenas and non-spoken words of others.  The league needs to chart its own course with focused profitability and sustained growth. Doing so will require rebuilding the WNBA brand and fan engagement, if the league is truly destined to be relevant in the sports entertainment and lifestyle arena.

(C) ISI Photos by Steven Lineman

In closing, I also want to acknowledge and thank Abby Wambach for her outstanding career and congratulate her on her retirement.  2015 turned out to be the year the USWNT recaptured the Women’s World Cup and in doing so, Abby’s role on the team changed from the go to star to the elder stateswoman. As the all-tie goal scorer in international soccer for men or women with 184 goals, her impact though is measured across the 15 years that she played internationally.

All the best,
Amy Love

Founder/Publisher

REAL SPORTS publishes this annual Most Important Moments in Sports edition and Sportsperson of the Year as a commitment to the history of women’s sports.  This nonprofit effort pays tribute to the passion exhibited by the 300,000 fans that engaged REAL SPORTS, The Authority in Women’s Sports, when it was a printed publication.