PHOENIX – After taking the sports landscape by storm with her barrier-breaking performance in the 2014 Little League World Series, and just last night winning the ESPY for “Best Breakthrough Athlete,” 14-year-old phenom Mo’ne Davis today was named the Phoenix Mercury’s 2015 Woman of Inspiration. Davis will be honored in-person at US Airways Center on Sunday, August 16, at 5 p.m. when the Mercury takes on the Indiana Fever.
“Mo’ne Davis’ story captures the attention and imagination of so many because her accomplishments transcend sports,” said Vince Kozar, Mercury Vice President of Operations. “Hers is a story about showing the world what is possible, athletically and otherwise, regardless of gender or age—and we think that aligns perfectly with our mission as a team, and with the WNBA’s as a league. She’s a great example to all of us, and an inspiration to young girls and boys alike. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to honor her.”
As part of the WNBA’s Inspiring Women platform, the Mercury annually honors a deserving candidate and this year selected Davis after her inspirational run last August in which she became the first girl to earn a win and also the first to pitch a shutout in Little League World Series history. The first African-American girl to compete in the Series, Davis became the first Little League baseball player to appear of the cover of Sports Illustrated and last night earned an ESPY as the year’s “Best Breakthrough Athlete.”
A native of Philadelphia, Davis will share her story with Mercury fans at halftime of the August 16th game in a special halftime interview at center court.
Although the 14-year-old became a household name thanks to her 70 mile per hour fastball, Davis has regularly spoken of her dream to one day play in the WNBA, and the multi-talented eighth-grader already plays on the varsity basketball team. Davis’ inspirational endeavors reach beyond athletics, as she has teamed up with a sneaker brand to design a colorful and stylish sneaker line for girls, with a percentage of the proceeds benefiting the Plan International’s “Because I’m A Girl” initiative that aims to help lift 4 million girls in the developing world out of poverty.
Davis joins an elite group of inspiring women who have been honored by the Mercury, including Robin Roberts (2007), Ali Vincent (2008), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (2009), Billie Jean King (2010), Picabo Street (2011), Hope Solo (2012), Lisa Fernandez (2013) and Jordan Wieber (2014).