A women's sporting event worth traveling in 2025

The star power of women's sports is brighter than ever before.

Last year, basketball sensation Kate Rinklerk helped raise Indiana Fever to an astounding increase of 265% attendance last season. International Phenom Irona Maher and her teammates moved the crowd at the Paris Olympics when they secured their first US medal at the Rugby Sevens. Women's sports leagues such as the NWSL and WNBA have broken records for television viewers and attendance. And this year, Nike chose to feature only female athletes in its first Super Bowl ad in 27 years.

Whether you're a longtime fan or simply exploring your sports side, 2025 may be the year you travel to discover new events, teams, or players. If you don't have a local team or even so, the wealth of women's sports offers plenty of inspiration. Expect compelling stories and thrills at these events.

May 2nd and 3rd

Pro hockey showdown

The nearly two-year-old professional women's hockey league has set its own attendance record, with over 14,000 fans in January's match between Minnesota Frost and Montreal Victory in January. Six teams in the league still earn Championship Series locations, but they can catch some of the most thrilling regular season games in early May. These tickets ensure you see the tactical prowess, speed and strength that drives the league's incredible growth.

Players for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, which took place in Indianapolis on July 19th, have yet to be announced, but the roster last year included first-time faces like Clark and Angel Reese and stalwart like A'ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi, game MVP, Arike Ogunbowale. One season's event gives longtime fans and new followers the opportunity to catch their favorite players in one place. The game itself is a league-wide showcase with physical skills, basketball IQ and unique personality that have supercharged the W fan base in recent years.

Ticket prices and sales dates have not yet been released, but fans can sign up through the event website to receive information that is now available. All-Star admissions in 2024 ranged from around $150 to tens of thousands of resale. If the game daysheet was over budget, secondary events, including a three-point contest and skill challenge, were pretty expensive and were close to $30.

Gymnastics fans will have years to go before their favorite star falls, vaults, twists next summer Olympics, but the road to Los Angeles 2028 is dotted with high-stakes competitions like the 2025 US Gymnastics Championships. Featuring junior and senior women (men and men), the event will be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans from August 7th to 10th, with women's events taking place on the second and final days.

While other important tournaments in Chicago and Providence will be held this year, the results in New Orleans are important to determine which athletes will advance to the 2025 World Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia in October. In 2024, icons like Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles all competed in the US gymnastics championships, and although participants this year have not yet been named, competition is expected to be fierce. It will also be the first time in 30 years that a contest has been held in Crescent City.

Tickets are not available yet, but admission to the 2024 session started at $14 and passed for all sessions for $239. For more information, please check out the US Gymnastics Championship website.

For decades, US women's soccer has gained fans with its dominant performances. This was followed in 2024 with the US women's national team's fifth Olympic gold medal. This season, you'll be hooked on three fan favorite matchups in three different cities, adding a rival weekend from August 8th to 10th.

Branded as SoCal, East Coast and Cascadia, the rivals have a variety of levels of strength and history. At Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, the latest SOCAL pairs Los Angeles' San Diego Wave with Angel City FC. East Coast rivals pit Gotham FC against the Washington Spirit at a Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, just outside New York City. Perhaps the most intense and celebratory rivalry, Cascadia, is with Portland, which hosts Seattle rulers at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Each game promises a conflict between experienced veterans like Seattle's Lauren Burns.

Tickets are available for all matches. East Coast seats are tops between $12 and $300, while SOCAL is tops between $20 and nearly $200, with $28 and $295.

August 22nd to September 27th

Women's Rugby World Cup

Fans of the women's rugby team at the 2024 US Olympics will have to wait a little longer from August 22nd to September 27th to see if Maher brings flashy footwork to the flashy Rugby World Cup in various UK cities. But regardless of who takes the field, audiences can expect dynamic, fast-flowing sports with incredible physicality that combines the player's accuracy, strategy, agility and a fierce competitive spirit. Beyond the US team, fans can witness a lot of rugby powers, including England, Australia and Samoa, in the tournament pool.