Allyson Felix, Naomi Osaka named Sportswomen of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) — Olympians Allyson Felix and Jordan Larson were honored as Sportswomen of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Felix won two medals at the Tokyo Games — giving her 11 in her career — to surpass Carl Lewis as the most decorated American in Olympic track and field history. Larson led the U.S. women’s volleyball team to victory against Brazil for its first Olympic gold medal.

Naomi Osaka earned the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award for bringing awareness to social justice and mental health issues at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports on Wednesday night.

“I got the courage just to speak out growing up and seeing all of the people around me doing amazing things,” Osaka said, “and not having any fear and standing up for what they believe in.”

Kim Ng of the Miami Marlins, the first female general manager in baseball, received the Billie Jean King Leadership Award. Larry Scott, the former commissioner of the Pac 12 and former CEO of the WTA Tour, accepted the Champion for Equality Award.

A reception with King was held at the New-York Historical Society ahead of the virtual awards show. Also featured on the virtual program were former baseball manager Joe Torre, Olympic hockey star Meghan Duggan, two-time World Cup champion Julie Foudy, Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer and Women’s Sports Foundation President Phaidra Knight.