8 AANHPI Athletes to know
As we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, it's a perfect time to shine a spotlight on the incredible achievements of female athletes from the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. These eight athletes are inspiring future generations on the field, court, dance floor, and more.
Jaedyn Shaw
Sport: Soccer
Team: San Diego Wave/USA
Hometown: Frisco, TX
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Since she stepped onto the pitch, Jaedyn Shaw has been making history in both the NWSL and for Team USA. In her first match with the San Diego Wave in 2022, Shaw was the second-youngest player in the league and became the youngest player to ever score in their NWSL debut. Shaw scored seven goals and notched one assist in just 12 caps with the senior national team.
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Shaw’s on-field talent is astounding, but she’s also breaking barriers in representation, as she is the first-ever Vietnamese American to play on the USWNT. Shaw’s father is African American, while her mother is Vietnamese. Learn more about her heritage and journey to soccer stardom here.
Sunny Choi
Sport: Breaking
Team: USA
Hometown: Queens, NY
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As the #1 B-Girl in America, Sunny Choi is already set to make history when she competes at the first-ever Olympic breaking competition in Paris this summer. Choi was the first B-girl to punch her ticket to Paris after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. For many years, Choi balanced working full-time and breaking on the side. But in 2022, Choi left her job as Estée Lauder’s Director of Global Creative Operations to go into breaking full-time.
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When she takes the stage in Paris for her first head-to-head battle, Choi will make history as the first Korean American to represent the U.S. in breaking.
Jaedyn Shaw
Sport: Soccer
Team: San Diego Wave/USA
Hometown: Frisco, TX
ㅤ
Since she stepped onto the pitch, Jaedyn Shaw has been making history in both the NWSL and for Team USA. In her first match with the San Diego Wave in 2022, Shaw was the second-youngest player in the league and became the youngest player to ever score in their NWSL debut. Shaw scored seven goals and notched one assist in just 12 caps with the senior national team.
ㅤ
Shaw’s on-field talent is astounding, but she’s also breaking barriers in representation, as she is the first-ever Vietnamese American to play on the USWNT. Shaw’s father is African American, while her mother is Vietnamese. Learn more about her heritage and journey to soccer stardom here.
Sunny Choi
Sport: Breaking
Team: USA
Hometown: Queens, NY
ㅤ
As the #1 B-Girl in America, Sunny Choi is already set to make history when she competes at the first-ever Olympic breaking competition in Paris this summer. Choi was the first B-girl to punch her ticket to Paris after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. For many years, Choi balanced working full-time and breaking on the side. But in 2022, Choi left her job as Estée Lauder’s Director of Global Creative Operations to go into breaking full-time.
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When she takes the stage in Paris for her first head-to-head battle, Choi will make history as the first Korean American to represent the U.S. in breaking.
Naomi Osaka
Sport: Tennis
Team: Japan
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
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Naomi Osaka is no stranger to making history. Her 2018 U.S. Open win marked the first time in history that a Japan-born player won a Grand Slam singles title. The following year, Osaka became the first Asian player to lead the WTA rankings.
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Osaka has a unique heritage; her mother is Japanese, while her father is Haitian American. When asked about her background, Osaka said, “I don’t really know what feeling Japanese or Haitian or American is supposed to feel like…I just feel like me”.
Outside of tennis, Osaka has built up various business ventures, like her KINLÒ skincare line, a media production company called Hana Kuma, and EVOLVE, a talent agency. After taking time away from tennis for maternity leave, Osaka has returned to the court and is working to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, where she would represent Japan.
Carissa Moore
Sport: Surfing
Team: USA
Hometown: Honolulu, Oahu, HI
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Native Hawaiian and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore stunned the surfing world when she announced that she would only compete in two surfing events this year: the Tahiti Pro and the Olympics. A record-breaker who finished in second place in the 2023 World Surf League standings, Moore assured surf fans that she was not retiring, just shifting her priorities to focus more on her foundation, Moore Aloha, writing a book, and finishing up production on a film about her life. Despite this shift in priorities, Moore will represent the USA in Tahiti for the summer Olympics.
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Moore shared that her Hawaiian family (and cultural upbringing) embraces openness and community, which empowers her to be candid about her mental health and more in this personal essay.
Naomi Osaka
Sport: Tennis
Team: Japan
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
ㅤ
Naomi Osaka is no stranger to making history. Her 2018 U.S. Open win marked the first time in history that a Japan-born player won a Grand Slam singles title. The following year, Osaka became the first Asian player to lead the WTA rankings.
ㅤ
Osaka has a unique heritage; her mother is Japanese, while her father is Haitian American. When asked about her background, Osaka said, “I don’t really know what feeling Japanese or Haitian or American is supposed to feel like…I just feel like me”.
Outside of tennis, Osaka has built up various business ventures, like her KINLÒ skincare line, a media production company called Hana Kuma, and EVOLVE, a talent agency. After taking time away from tennis for maternity leave, Osaka has returned to the court and is working to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, where she would represent Japan.
Carissa Moore
Sport: Surfing
Team: USA
Hometown: Honolulu, Oahu, HI
ㅤ
Native Hawaiian and Olympic gold medalist Carissa Moore stunned the surfing world when she announced that she would only compete in two surfing events this year: the Tahiti Pro and the Olympics. A record-breaker who finished in second place in the 2023 World Surf League standings, Moore assured surf fans that she was not retiring, just shifting her priorities to focus more on her foundation, Moore Aloha, writing a book, and finishing up production on a film about her life. Despite this shift in priorities, Moore will represent the USA in Tahiti for the summer Olympics.
ㅤ
Moore shared that her Hawaiian family (and cultural upbringing) embraces openness and community, which empowers her to be candid about her mental health and more in this personal essay.
Chloe Kim
Sport: Snowboarding
Team: USA
Hometown: Torrance, CA
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You’d be hard-pressed to find an accolade in the snowboarding world that our TOGETHXR co-founder Chloe Kim hasn’t won. In fact, Kim was the first athlete ever to win all four major snowboarding titles in the Olympics, Worlds, Youth Olympics, and X Games. She won Olympic gold medals in 2018 and 2022 before deciding to take an almost two-year break from snowboarding to focus on her mental health. She returned to competition at the 2024 X Games, where she didn’t just win gold — she also became the first woman to land a 1260 in a Superpipe competition.
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Kim said, “Growing up, I wished there were more faces like mine, like another Asian American woman that I could look up to and follow…I've been so blessed to be given a platform and it's important for me to make the most out of it.”
Alissa Pili
Sport: Basketball
Team: Minnesota Lynx
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
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One of the best moments of the WNBA preseason was when the Minnesota Lynx welcomed rookie Alissa Pili to Minneapolis with a surprise gathering, introducing her to local Indigenous and Polynesian fans, including showering her with traditional necklaces, beaded earrings, and a blanket.
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Pili has been outspoken about how important her Samoan and Native American heritage is to her, stating, “A lot of Indigenous and Polynesian girls don’t get to see that role model, and I’m just so blessed to be in the position to be that for them…I’m representing them with pride.” Pili has embraced her role in this new representation, which led to 100 of the estimated 500 Samoan people in the Minneapolis area attending a recent Lynx game.
Chloe Kim
Sport: Snowboarding
Team: USA
Hometown: Torrance, CA
ㅤ
You’d be hard-pressed to find an accolade in the snowboarding world that our TOGETHXR co-founder Chloe Kim hasn’t won. In fact, Kim was the first athlete ever to win all four major snowboarding titles in the Olympics, Worlds, Youth Olympics, and X Games. She won Olympic gold medals in 2018 and 2022 before deciding to take an almost two-year break from snowboarding to focus on her mental health. She returned to competition at the 2024 X Games, where she didn’t just win gold — she also became the first woman to land a 1260 in a Superpipe competition.
ㅤ
Kim said, “Growing up, I wished there were more faces like mine, like another Asian American woman that I could look up to and follow…I've been so blessed to be given a platform and it's important for me to make the most out of it.”
Alissa Pili
Sport: Basketball
Team: Minnesota Lynx
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
ㅤ
One of the best moments of the WNBA preseason was when the Minnesota Lynx welcomed rookie Alissa Pili to Minneapolis with a surprise gathering, introducing her to local Indigenous and Polynesian fans, including showering her with traditional necklaces, beaded earrings, and a blanket.
ㅤ
Pili has been outspoken about how important her Samoan and Native American heritage is to her, stating, “A lot of Indigenous and Polynesian girls don’t get to see that role model, and I’m just so blessed to be in the position to be that for them…I’m representing them with pride.” Pili has embraced her role in this new representation, which led to 100 of the estimated 500 Samoan people in the Minneapolis area attending a recent Lynx game.
Ali Riley
Sport: Soccer
Team: Angel City FC/New Zealand Football Ferns
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
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Ali Riley has an impressive soccer resume, including playing in four Olympic games, 135 international caps, and serving as captain for both ACFC (since 2023) and the New Zealand National Team (since 2017). Riley also has diverse business ventures off the field, including co-authoring the Girls Gone Veg cookbook, hosting a media series, and always making fans laugh on her socials with the new “BFFR” series featuring her co-host and teammate, Sydney LeRoux.
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Riley loves celebrating both sides of her heritage; her mother is Chinese, while her father is from New Zealand. Although it wasn’t easy for her growing up, Riley now appreciates and is proud of her Chinese heritage.
Jocelyn Alo
Sport: Softball
Team: Pro Softball AUX/Oklahoma City Spark/USA
Hometown: Hauula, HI
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You might know Jocelyn Alo from her storied career at Oklahoma, where she set the record for most home runs after smashing 122 home runs out of the park for the Sooners. Or you know her from being the first woman to play for the Savannah Bananas. Whatever it may be, Alo has left a lasting mark on the baseball and softball world — and she’s not done yet. She has Pro Softball AUX and the Oklahoma City Spark kicking off in June, as well as the upcoming All-Star Series in Japan, where she’ll be on Team USA.
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Alo hails from Hauula, a town on Oahu with only 3,000 residents. She recently told young Hawaiian softball players, “The state of Hawai’i is on my back. Everywhere I go, I’m always playing for you guys, no matter if it’s on a national or international level.”
Ali Riley
Sport: Soccer
Team: Angel City FC/New Zealand Football Ferns
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
ㅤ
Ali Riley has an impressive soccer resume, including playing in four Olympic games, 135 international caps, and serving as captain for both ACFC (since 2023) and the New Zealand National Team (since 2017). Riley also has diverse business ventures off the field, including co-authoring the Girls Gone Veg cookbook, hosting a media series, and always making fans laugh on her socials with the new “BFFR” series featuring her co-host and teammate, Sydney LeRoux.
ㅤ
Riley loves celebrating both sides of her heritage; her mother is Chinese, while her father is from New Zealand. Although it wasn’t easy for her growing up, Riley now appreciates and is proud of her Chinese heritage.
Jocelyn Alo
Sport: Softball
Team: Pro Softball AUX/Oklahoma City Spark/USA
Hometown: Hauula, HI
ㅤ
You might know Jocelyn Alo from her storied career at Oklahoma, where she set the record for most home runs after smashing 122 home runs out of the park for the Sooners. Or you know her from being the first woman to play for the Savannah Bananas. Whatever it may be, Alo has left a lasting mark on the baseball and softball world — and she’s not done yet. She has Pro Softball AUX and the Oklahoma City Spark kicking off in June, as well as the upcoming All-Star Series in Japan, where she’ll be on Team USA.
ㅤ
Alo hails from Hauula, a town on Oahu with only 3,000 residents. She recently told young Hawaiian softball players, “The state of Hawai’i is on my back. Everywhere I go, I’m always playing for you guys, no matter if it’s on a national or international level.”