Instagram: @naethrowsheavyrock

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Janeé Kassanavoid is among the world’s elite in the hammer throw. At Kansas State, she was a three-time Big 12 Champion, four-time All-American, and a school record holder. In 2022, Kassanavoid became the first Indigenous woman to medal at the World Athletics Track and Field Championships, winning bronze, and returned to the event in 2023 to win silver.

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A proud member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, Kassanavoid uses her platform to honor her culture and inspire future generations. She said, “I’m here to change things for the next generation. I want little girls to see someone who looks like them — wearing my hair in braids, introducing myself in my Native language, and proudly representing the Comanche Nation up on the podium and on Nike N7 billboards.”

Instagram: @alissapili

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Alissa Pili was selected eighth overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of the University of Utah. In college, she was the fastest in school history to reach 1,000 career points, earning back-to-back All-Pac-12 honors, and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2023 after leading the conference in scoring and field goal percentage. Pili spent her rookie season with the Minnesota Lynx, winning a Commissioner’s Cup title, before signing with the Los Angeles Sparks for her second season.

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Pili’s father is Samoan, and her mother is Native Alaskan, a member of the Inupiat people. Growing up in Alaska, she understands the power of having a community and role model. Pili shared, “They have somebody to look up to. It’s something that they’ve been needing. It’s hard for me to think of myself like that, but I know that I’m having an impact on these girls, and [helping] more Indigenous and Polynesian girls grow in basketball. I’m carrying my culture on my back.”

Instagram: @silent.rainn

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SilentRain Espinoza is a standout infielder in professional softball, competing for the Atlanta Smoke in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch League. Espinoza had a stellar career at the University of Washington, where she competed in the Women’s College World Series and earned Third Team All-Pac-12 honors. In 2024, Espinoza was named the Atlanta Smoke Player of the Year, and she helped lead the team to league championships in both 2024 and 2025.

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A proud member of the Kumeyaay Indian Nation from the Viejas Reservation in Alpine, California, with Penobscot roots on her mother’s side, Espinoza is passionate about Native American representation in sports. She said, “It’s so sad how Native girls are so underrepresented in a majority of sports, so I think for me, I really want to show all minority girls, specifically Native American girls, that it’s definitely possible that they can play at this level and succeed and get an education.”

Instagram: @abby_roque

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Abby Roque is a trailblazing forward in women’s ice hockey, the first Indigenous woman to compete for the U.S. Women’s National Team at the Winter Games, winning a silver medal at Beijing 2022. At University of Wisconsin, Roque helped lead her team to the 2019 national championship, was twice named WCHA Offensive Player of the Year, and earned both USCHO Division I Women’s Player of the Year and USA Hockey’s Women’s Hockey Player of the Year honors in 2020. She also scored the first Michigan goal in the PWHL for the New York Sirens, before being traded to the Montreal Victoire ahead of this season.

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A member of the Wahnapitae First Nation, Roque reflected, “When I got to throw on the Team USA jersey for the first time, I sat there for a moment and thought about how important that moment really was. Being the first indigenous woman to do it. I wanted to make all the people watching and supporting me proud. I hope I’ve done that, and I hope that we see more indigenous players on that roster in the future.”

Instagram: @gohaamm

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In 2020, Madison Hammond was the first-ever Native American to play in the National Women’s Soccer League. A four-year starter at Wake Forest University, she was a four-year ACC All-Academic team selection, served as team captain, and was named Second Team All-ACC. Hammond began her professional career with OL Reign in 2020 before being traded to Angel City FC where she has played the last three seasons.

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For Hammond, being Navajo, San Felipe, and Black has shaped not only her identity, but also her mission to use soccer as a platform for inclusion and representation. Hammond said, “I want anyone who wants to play soccer to know that there’s a place for them no matter what they look like, where they come from, or what their background is. I want to help create a sports world where Black girls, Native girls, and nonbinary and trans people are fervently advocated for. It’s a tall task in this climate, but I’m ready to do the work.”

Instagram: @beanminerd

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Cassandra “Bean” Minerd played lacrosse at SUNY Brockport, earning First Team All-SUNYAC honors, 2017 SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, and recognition on the IWLCA All-Region and Senior All-Star Teams. In her senior season, she led the team to the round of sixteen in the DIII NCAA Tournament. Minerd has also competed with the Haudenosaunee Women’s National team since 2011. This year, she secured All-Tournament Defense honors at the 2025 Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship as well as the Heart and Spirit of Lacrosse Award for her leadership and contributions beyond the field.

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To young indigenous women, Minerd says, “You can do it. No dream is too big or too small. Continue dreaming. Continue putting in that effort. You’re going to flourish. I was that little Native girl wishing and dreaming. And I’m here today. And I’m so proud of myself. Be proud of yourself and love yourself because that’s what matters. Be your biggest supporter, biggest cheerleader, and you’ll see success coming your way.”

Instagram: @a_guerrer03

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Alicia Guerrero competes in shotput and discus for San Diego State University and Team USA. She burst onto the para track and field scene in 2018, breaking Washington State records throughout her high school career. Guerrero was named to the 2022 National team for shot put. In 2023, she made her international debut at the Para Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, earning her first international medal, a bronze in the F64 discus throw.

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Growing up on the Yakama Reservation as a member of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and navigating life after losing her leg at age two, Guerrero has drawn strength from her heritage and her experiences as a Native athlete with a disability. Guerrero said, “I never thought someone like me from my background could be able to do something like leaving the reservation to go to school 2,000 miles away, much less being named to the national team. To be where I am now, I am hoping others with a similar background to mine can use my experiences as an example of the possibilities in life when you go for your dreams.”

Instagram: @aaliyah.nye

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Aaliyah Nye is the first Indigenous player to become a WNBA champion, winning the title with the Las Vegas Aces in her rookie season after being selected 13th overall in the 2025 draft. One of the SEC’s best three-point shooters, she graduated from Alabama as the program’s record holder for both single-season and career three-pointers — including a 108-make campaign that ranks second in conference history.

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Nye is a tribal citizen of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians. Growing up in Alabama, she would spend her summer in Michigan with her tribe. Nye said, “I just hope my tribal members that are younger that look up to me and want to pursue this, that it doesn't matter what kind of background you have. You can do anything you put your mind to.”