8 Best-Selling Women in Sports Books Millions Love

Sheryl Sandberg, former Facebook COO, and other experts endorse these best-selling Women in Sports books offering powerful insights and inspiration.

Sheryl Sandberg
Updated on June 27, 2025
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There's something special about books that both critics and crowds love, especially in a category as dynamic as Women in Sports. These stories capture more than just athletic achievement—they chronicle resilience, leadership, and the ongoing fight for equality on and off the field. With the surge in visibility and support for women athletes, these books have become essential reading for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of sports.

Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org, brings a unique perspective to these recommendations. Known for her advocacy on leadership and gender equality, her endorsement of titles like "Forward" by Abby Wambach highlights the deep connection between sports and social change. Sandberg’s recognition signals these books' relevance beyond the locker room, into broader cultural conversations.

While these best sellers provide proven frameworks and inspiring journeys, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Women in Sports interests might consider creating a personalized Women in Sports book that combines these validated approaches into a unique, focused read.

Best for athlete resilience and leadership
Abby Wambach is an American soccer player and coach with two Olympic gold medals and a FIFA Women’s World Cup Championship to her name. As the highest all-time scorer for both female and male international soccer players, her perspective is unmatched. Her memoir reveals the fierce drive and personal battles behind her record-setting career, offering a candid look at what it takes to excel and lead in women’s sports today.
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Recommended by Sheryl Sandberg

Former COO of Facebook and LeanIn.Org Founder

Forward: A Memoir book cover

by Abby Wambach··You?

The methods Abby Wambach developed while competing on the world’s biggest stages reveal a fiercely competitive spirit shaped by early challenges and relentless drive. You learn not just about her record-breaking soccer career but the complexity of balancing identity, leadership, and personal struggles under public scrutiny. Chapters detail her evolution from a determined child playing on boys’ teams to a celebrated athlete advocating for women’s rights, offering insights into resilience, teamwork, and self-acceptance. This memoir suits anyone curious about the human side of elite sports and the broader fight for equality beyond the field.

New York Times Bestseller
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Best for inspiring soccer biographies
This biography offers a unique window into Mia Hamm's stellar career, reflecting why she remains a beloved figure in women in sports. Matt Christopher and Glenn Stout present her story with rich detail, highlighting her impact on soccer and her role in landmark victories like the Women's World Cup and Olympics. The book’s appeal lies in its accessible storytelling that brings to life the challenges and triumphs of a top athlete, making it an engaging read for young fans and aspiring players interested in the history and spirit of women's soccer.
Mia Hamm: On the Field with... (Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf) book cover

by Matt Christopher, Glenn Stout, The #1 Sports Writer for Kids·You?

1998·128 pages·Women in Sports, Soccer Biography, Sports, Athlete Profiles, Team Dynamics

When Matt Christopher and Glenn Stout set out to profile Mia Hamm, they captured more than just a sports biography—they revealed the tenacity and strategic mind behind a soccer icon. You get an inside look at how Hamm's speed and field vision propelled her teams to multiple NCAA championships and two Women's World Cup victories, even playing through injury in a pivotal Olympic final. This book offers young readers and sports enthusiasts a detailed portrait of an athlete who changed women's soccer, illustrating her career milestones and the qualities that made her a global hero. It's particularly insightful for anyone interested in the intersection of athletic skill and resilience.

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Best for personal success plans
This AI-created book on excelling in women’s sports is tailored to your specific goals, background, and interests. By sharing what aspects of women’s sports environments you want to focus on and your current experience, you receive a book that matches exactly what you need to succeed. This personalized approach helps you avoid generic advice and instead engages deeply with the challenges and opportunities unique to women athletes. It’s a focused way to learn proven methods that complement your passion and ambitions in sports.
2025·50-300 pages·Women in Sports, Athlete Resilience, Leadership Development, Team Dynamics, Gender Equity

This tailored book explores essential methods and insights for excelling in women’s sports environments, blending widely validated knowledge with your unique interests. It covers key factors such as leadership dynamics, teamwork, mental resilience, and navigating gender-specific challenges. By focusing on your background and goals, the book reveals how to harness proven approaches that millions have found valuable and adapts them to your personal journey. The personalized content ensures you engage deeply with topics that matter most to you, from building confidence on and off the field to understanding sports culture and advocacy. This focused exploration offers a rich learning experience specially designed to match your aspirations in women’s sports.

Tailored Guide
Athlete Performance
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for women golfers' personal stories
Terri Leonard is an amateur golfer and member of StoneTree Golf Club in Petaluma, California. Her passion for the game and deep connection to women's golf inspired her to compile this anthology, gathering voices of the sport's greatest women golfers. Leonard's background brings a relatable and authentic perspective, making this collection resonate with both fans and players eager to understand the unique journeys of these athletes.

Unlike most sports anthologies that focus on statistics or tournament highlights, this book collects essays and personal stories from legendary women golfers like Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Nancy Lopez, offering you a direct window into their experiences and perspectives. You’ll gain insight into the evolution of women's golf through firsthand accounts that reveal both challenges and triumphs, including Patty Berg's reflections on her career. This anthology is ideal if you're interested in sports history, women's achievements, or golf culture, as it blends biography with personal narrative. While it doesn't teach golf technique, it enriches your understanding of these athletes' lives and the sport's broader social context.

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Best for cultural impact of women's soccer
Jere Longman's detailed account offers a unique window into a pivotal moment for women in sports, focusing on the 1999 U.S. Women's Soccer Team's World Cup victory and its broader cultural resonance. This book stands out by combining compelling athlete profiles with an exploration of pressing societal issues like equal pay and media representation. It's a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding how women's soccer helped reshape attitudes and created lasting change in sports history.
2000·336 pages·Women in Sports, Sports, Soccer, Team Dynamics, Gender Equity

When Jere Longman wrote this book, he drew on his experience as a New York Times sportswriter to capture not just a historic soccer match but a cultural turning point in women's sports. You learn about the 1999 U.S. Women's Soccer Team's journey through vivid profiles of key players like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, while also confronting complex issues such as media portrayal, race, and gender equity in sports. This book is particularly insightful if you want to understand how a single event can influence national identity and advance women's roles in athletics, all while exploring the personal and societal challenges behind the headlines.

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Best for overcoming adversity in sports
The Red Rose Crew offers a compelling glimpse into a remarkable chapter in women’s sports, chronicling a rowing team’s fight against prejudice and their rise to international acclaim. This story captures the grit and determination required to break through male-dominated barriers and achieve athletic excellence. Through vivid storytelling, the book highlights the resilience and spirit of these athletes, making it a valuable read for anyone interested in the history and ongoing challenges within women’s sports.
2000·224 pages·Women in Sports, Sports, Teamwork, Gender Equality, Rowing

Daniel J. Boyne's background in sports journalism shines through in this vivid recounting of a pioneering women's rowing team that overcame entrenched sexism and institutional barriers. You get a gripping narrative of their physical and mental endurance, seeing firsthand how these athletes navigated a male-dominated sport while striving for international victory. Chapters detail both the grueling training regimens and the cultural battles they faced, offering insights into resilience and teamwork under pressure. If you’re intrigued by stories of female athletes breaking new ground and want to understand the intersection of sport and gender politics, this book will engage and inform you.

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Best for rapid performance gains
This AI-created book on sports performance is tailored to your skill level, background, and specific goals in women’s sports. You share what areas you want to focus on, such as physical conditioning or mental resilience, and the book is created to match exactly what you need to accelerate your progress. Personalizing training and mindset content in this way helps cut through generic advice, giving you a focused path that fits your unique athletic journey.
2025·50-300 pages·Women in Sports, Sports Performance, Physical Conditioning, Mental Resilience, Skill Development

This tailored book explores personalized techniques to rapidly enhance women’s sports performance, focusing on your unique background and goals. It covers key aspects such as physical conditioning, mental resilience, and skill development while integrating insights validated by millions of athletes and coaches. By concentrating on elements most relevant to your interests and current level, the book provides a focused learning experience that reveals how to accelerate progress in just 30 days. With a tailored approach, it examines essential training principles, mindset shifts, and nutrition tailored specifically for women athletes. This customized guide empowers you to build strength, agility, and confidence efficiently, drawing on collective knowledge adapted to your specific journey in women’s sports.

Tailored Guide
Performance Enhancement
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for women's basketball history
"Shattering The Glass" stands out in women in sports literature by chronicling over a century of women's basketball development from its origins to present-day prominence. The authors highlight the sport’s deep ties to social change, intertwining athletic milestones with broader battles for women’s rights and equality. This book offers an illustrated, interview-rich narrative that appeals to anyone interested in the intersection of sports, culture, and gender. Its detailed approach caters to those looking to grasp the layered history behind women's basketball's rise and sustained impact on American sports culture.
2005·306 pages·Women in Sports, Sports, Basketball History, Gender Equality, Cultural Studies

Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford bring a historian's depth and cultural insight to "Shattering The Glass," tracing over a century of women's basketball beyond the recent media spotlight. You’ll learn about the sport’s roots in social movements for gender equality and see how pivotal figures shaped both the game and women’s roles in society. Chapters dive into how changing perceptions of womanhood influenced the sport’s evolution, making it more than just about the game but about broader struggles and victories. This book suits you if you want to understand the historical forces behind women's basketball and appreciate its cultural significance, not just the highlights on the court.

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Best for historic women's baseball narratives
Susan E. Johnson’s When Women Played Hardball delves into the remarkable era of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a time when women boldly claimed their place on the baseball field. The book brings to life the 1950 championship and the spirited competition between iconic teams like the Rockford Peaches and Fort Wayne Daisies, highlighting both the athleticism and cultural significance of this moment in the Women in Sports narrative. Through colorful anecdotes and personal memories, it offers you a window into a unique chapter of sports history that celebrates female athletes’ determination and impact.
When Women Played Hardball book cover

by Susan E. Johnson·You?

1994·320 pages·Women in Sports, Sports, Baseball History, Athlete Biographies, Cultural Impact

After analyzing firsthand accounts and archival material, Susan E. Johnson developed a vivid portrait of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, capturing its vibrant spirit from 1943 to 1954. You gain insight into how over 500 women challenged gender norms by excelling on the diamond with grit and flair, illustrated through detailed stories like the 1950 championship series between the Rockford Peaches and Fort Wayne Daisies. This book immerses you in a fascinating chapter of sports history, revealing the cultural impact and societal reflections surrounding these pioneering athletes. If you’re drawn to the intersection of sports and social change, this book offers a richly textured narrative rather than just statistics or broad overviews.

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Best for gender equity in sports history
What makes this book unique in women in sports is how it intertwines the stories of Billie Jean King and Title IX, portraying their combined influence on a pivotal social revolution. Readers find that Susan Ware’s approach, blending biography with historical analysis, highlights how sports became a battleground for gender equity during the 1970s. This book benefits anyone interested in the roots of women's expanded opportunities in athletics and the legislative and cultural shifts that made them possible. It addresses the need to understand both individual achievements and broader societal transformations within women in sports.
2011·296 pages·Women in Sports, Sports, History, Gender Equity, Title IX

After analyzing key moments in feminist history and sports, Susan Ware crafted a detailed narrative exploring how Billie Jean King's 1973 victory over Bobby Riggs became a catalyst for the women's sports revolution. The book goes beyond biography to connect King's triumph with the broader impact of Title IX legislation, showing how these forces together transformed access and opportunity in athletics. You’ll gain insights into the intersection of sports, gender politics, and social change, including how public attitudes shifted during the 1970s. This is a valuable read if you want to understand the historical context behind gender equity in sports and the lasting influence of key figures and policies.

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Conclusion

Across these eight books, a clear theme emerges: Women in Sports is not just about competition but about resilience, cultural impact, and breaking barriers. From Abby Wambach’s leadership insights in "Forward" to the historic shifts captured in "Game, Set, Match," these works offer readers proven narratives that resonate widely.

If you prefer proven methods grounded in personal experience, start with "Forward" and "The Red Rose Crew". For a broader cultural and historical understanding, "The Girls Of Summer" and "Shattering The Glass" provide compelling perspectives. Combining biographies and social analysis offers a well-rounded appreciation of women's sports evolution.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Women in Sports book to blend these proven methods with your unique needs and interests. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed in deepening their connection to women’s sports stories and issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "Forward" by Abby Wambach for an inspiring, personal look at leadership and resilience in women's sports. It offers relatable insights and a compelling narrative that engages both new and seasoned readers.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Women in Sports?

Not at all. Titles like "Mia Hamm" and "In the Women's Clubhouse" are approachable and perfect for beginners, blending storytelling with accessible history and athlete profiles.

What's the best order to read these books?

Consider beginning with memoirs like "Forward" or "Mia Hamm" to connect personally, then explore cultural histories such as "The Girls Of Summer" and "Shattering The Glass" for broader context.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can definitely start with one that fits your interest. Each book stands alone, though reading multiple offers richer perspectives across different sports and eras.

Which books focus more on theory vs. practical application?

Books like "Game, Set, Match" examine societal and legislative impacts, providing theory and history, while memoirs like "Forward" offer practical insights into athlete mindset and leadership.

Can I get a book tailored to my specific Women in Sports interests?

Yes! While these expert-recommended books offer valuable insights, you can create a personalized Women in Sports book to combine proven approaches with your unique goals and background for a focused, efficient read.

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