Money, power, respect How women in sports are shaping the future of feminism

Women athletes are at the forefront of the feminist fight for workplace equality, according to journalist Mackenzie's spirited debut. Focusing in particular on the $24 million settlement obtained by the U.S. women's national soccer team in their gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, Mackenzie arrays an impressive arsenal of facts and figures to shoot down arguments often raised to explain why women's sports deserve secondary status. For example, she notes that the final match of the 2015 Women's World Cup drew 30 million U.S. viewers, an audience more than 50% bigger than the one for game six of that year's NBA finals, which featured Steph Curry versus LeBron James. Elsewhere, Mackenzie makes the case that lack of investment is the foremost reason why women's sports generate less revenue than men's, noting that in the early days of the NFL, the league lost money and most new teams failed within a few years. At times, Mackenzie's ardent advocacy can cloud complex issues, and she focuses more on remedying women's lack of self-esteem than on the need for structural change. Still, this invigorating study makes a persuasive case for the growing popularity and political power of women in sports. (June)