Who is the Next Women's Sports Mega-Star?

Between the NCAA women's basketball tournament shattering records, the WNBA coming off one of its greatest seasons and the top female tennis players leading a new Golden Age, women’s sports are in the national and global spotlight like never before.

And with the focus squarely on the next generation of elite female athletes, Sportsbook Review - home of the best sports betting sites - seeks to answer the burning question: Who do sports fans consider to be the next big thing in women’s athletics?

Crazy for Coco

It's no surprise to see one of the greatest players in a globally beloved individual sport take home this honor – but the extent to which Coco Gauff is leaving her competition in the dust is at least a little shocking, even after reaching the final four at three consecutive Grand Slam singles events and winning the 2024 French Open doubles title.

The 20-year-old tennis phenom is not only on a professional high following her US Open triumph last year, she is also a rapidly rising star on the social media front. Gauff has a whopping 2.7 million followers between her Instagram, X, and TikTok accounts – and that explosion in popularity moves her to the No. 1 spot on this list, up from No. 3 in 2023.

Gauff (+600) is also the No. 3 favorite to win the U.S. Open women's singles title, behind only Aryna Sabalenka (+300) and Iga Swiatek (+300).

Here's a look at the most-searched 25-and-under female athletes across the United States based on average monthly keyword searches over the past 12 months: 

Gauff is a veritable freight train when it comes to global popularity – having just turned 20 on March 13, you can expect to see her at or near the top of this list for years to come.

A power trio at No. 2

Gauff might be the undisputed under-25 queen of women's sports, but she has plenty of impressive company right behind her.

That list starts with two of the greatest women's basketball players in NCAA history – and they know each other very well. Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark and LSU legend Angel Reese faced off in an epic 2023 national title game, won 102-85 by Reese's Tigers.

Clark got her revenge a year later, leading Iowa past LSU 94-87 in the national quarterfinal, but ultimately fell short as the Hawkeyes lost to South Carolina in the title game. Now, they'll continue their rivalry as WNBA rookies, with Clark going No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever at the 2024 WNBA Draft and Reese selected seventh by the Chicago Sky.

Clark (-800) is presently the runaway favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, with Reese (+900) holding down the No. 2 spot.

Level with these women's basketball stars is former LSU gymnast-turned-social media star Olivia Dunne, who previously occupied the No. 1 spot on this list.

Despite seeing her search volume plateau in 2024, Dunne is still one of the most beloved under-25 female athletes on the planet; she not only has north of seven million followers on TikTok and an additional four million followers on Instagram, she’s also the highest-paid gymnast in U.S. collegiate athletics, earning around $1 million annually.

Variety in the top 10

It speaks volumes about the state of women’s sports that five different sports are represented among the top-12 most-searched female athletes aged 25 or younger.

Here’s a look at the others who made the top 10:

Trinity Rodman (soccer) might previously have been associated mainly with her famous father, former NBA star and bad boy Dennis Rodman, but she’s quickly carving her own path as one of the top women’s soccer players in the country.

The 21-year-old was the youngest drafted player in National Women’s Soccer League history, and already has 16 goals in 62 all-time appearances with the Washington Spirit. She also has seven goals in 34 caps for the national women's team.

Sophia Smith (soccer) caps an impressive 1-2 punch on the women's 25-and-under soccer scene, coming in sixth. She has been one of the most prolific sorers in the NWSL since being taken first overall in 2020, scoring 34 goals in 61 games for the Thorns.

Smith, who won an NCAA championship with Stanford, has added 16 goals in 44 national team appearances after scoring 21 times in 25 appearances with the U20 team.

Haley Cavinder (NCAA basketball) moves up from the periphery of the top 10 into a share of the No. 7 spot, and once again outpaces her twin sister Hanna – though the two are often considered a package deal when it comes to media accolades.

The two share a wildly successful TikTok account that boasts more than 4.5 million followers, making a successful transition from college basketball standouts to social media stars. But let’s not ignore Haley’s athletic contributions: The 23-year-old was the Mountain West player of the year in 2021 and earned Second-team All-ACC honors after transferring to Miami in 2022. She'll suit up for TCU next season.

Nelly Korda (golf) is one of only two members of the LPGA Tour on the list, but she’s a worthy entrant. Korda, who turns 26 at the end of July, is one of the most successful women’s golfers in the world, having earned 16 titles – including the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship.

Korda was one of the top athletes on the planet in 2021, with four tournament wins (including that PGA Championship victory), an Olympic gold medal, and the top spot in the world rankings.

Paige Bueckers (NCAA basketball) is the fourth NCAA hoops star on the list, and might have one of the best nicknames in college (Paige Buckets, anyone?) 

It has been a rocky path for the 21-year-old Connecticut star, who missed her entire junior season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. She opted to return to UConn for 2023-24 rather than declare for the WNBA Draft, and will be looking to lead the Huskies to a national title after averaging 21.9 points on 53.6% shooting in an incredible comeback season.

Aliyah Boston (WNBA) might not get the same level of attention paid to NBA phenoms, but the second-year Indiana Fever forward has already shown she’s a future mega-star.

The top pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft showed she was full value for the honor, rolling to the Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous vote after averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for the Indiana Fever. This came on the heels of her NCAA Most Outstanding Player nod in 2022, where she averaged 16.8 points and 12.5 rebounds for South Carolina.

Cameron Brink (WNBA) was an absolute force in her final season at Stanford, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year honors while averaging 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots per game. The 22-year-old was then selected second overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA Draft, and is off to an impressive start as a first-year pro.

Mallory Swanson (soccer) is the third member of the national women's soccer team to grace this list, a testament to the sport's exploding popularity in the U.S.

Swanson has already racked up 88 senior national women's team appearances despite not turning 26 until the end of April – and she has 32 goals for the national program over that span. Swanson currently plays club soccer in the NWSL for the Chicago Red Stars; her husband, Dansby, is the starting shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.

Rose Zhang (golf) rounds out this top-10 list (which is actually a top-12 list thanks to ties) as the second LPGA star in the mix. Zhang has just one professional win to her credit, but was the 2022 NCAA women's champion prior to joining the LPGA, so her pedigree is strong.

Zhang won't turn 21 until May, but has already made history in a couple of impressive areas. She owns the women's course record at famed Pebble Beach Golf Links (shooting a 9-under 63) and became apparel giant Adidas' first sponsored student-athlete in June 2022.

Most searched 25-and-under women's athletes by state

Methodology

We compiled a list of more than 60 of the most searched American female athletes aged 25 and under, then turned to Semrush's search volume over the past 12 months to get U.S. results. We then collected data on each individual state via Google Analytics.

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