While the NFL continues to disrespect Black head coaches, Black women continued their ascent in sports and in earnings.
Yesterday, Forbes released their list of the highest-paid female athletes for 2021, and Black women dominated the list.
The top 10 athletes made a combined $167 million, of which Black women accounted for $130.3 million (78%).
Leading the way is Naomi Osaka. The 24-year-old tennis star stood out for her play on the court, her stand on mental health and her business acumen. She raked in $57.3 million.
Behind Osaka came list mainstay Serena Williams. Williams grew her list of sponsors, expanded her investment portfolio and even executive produced, along with her sister Venus, “King Richard”, the film about her father. She earned $45.9 million.
Coming in third is Serena’s sister, Venus. While her playing days are winding down, her appearances and business ventures are increasing, making her one of the highest-paid female athletes around. She earned $11.3 million.
Simone Biles flipped her way into fourth place. The gymnastics star famously left Nike for Athleta, became an advocate for mental health and continued to inspire across the globe. She’s the first gymnast to make the top-10 and earned $10.1 million.
A pleasant addition to the list was Candace Parker, who came in tenth with $5.7 million in earnings. While her WNBA salary is relatively low, Parker raked in money from endorsements including Adidas and CarMax. The 35-year-old is the first basketball player to make the top-10 and she’s also the first woman to make the cover of the NBA2K video game.
The list also included other women of color including tennis star Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain), golfer Jin Young Ko (South Korea) and badminton player P.V. Sindhu (India).
