Sports Illustrated: Empowering Women or Exploiting Trends?

By Whitney Randall

Disclaimer: This article reflects personal opinions and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sports Illustrated or any people listed below.

Is Sports Illustrated really for the girls, or are they just chasing trends? 

With support for female athletes and athletics on the rise, more and more media companies are finally giving them the attention they’ve been searching for. Sports Illustrated seems to be stepping into this momentum, but their authenticity may need a closer look.

The iconic sports magazine made its debut on Aug. 16, 1954, with Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews on the cover. Since then, it’s built a reputation as a major player in the sports media world, mostly centered around men. 

Across more than 3,300 issues over 71 years, only 101 have featured female athletes on the cover. That’s fewer than 3 percent. Of those, just 84 were solo cover stars. And when it comes to the coveted Sportsperson of the Year title? Only 10 women and the 1999 U.S. Women’s Soccer Team have held it, with just four not having to share the spotlight.

In 1964, the magazine expanded, adding its swimsuit edition. The first one dropped on Jan. 20, 1964. It’s been around for more than 60 years and, yes, it features women, but not usually athletes. Supermodels have dominated the cover, not Olympians. Out of 64 swimsuit issues, only five athletes have landed the cover. The first was Ronda Rousey in 2016. So it took over half a century for a sports magazine to put an actual athlete on the cover of its swimsuit issue.

SI Swim Debut at SWIM MIAMI July 22, 2017 (deposit photos)

In addition to the Swimsuit Edition, Sports Illustrated made its debut appearance at Miami Swim Week on July 22, 2017. This year’s SI Swim Week runway show was packed with athletes and influencers. Ilona Maher, Olivia Dunne, Jordan Chiles, and Ali Truwit were among the standout names. Maher and Chiles are Olympic medalists. Truwit’s a Paralympic medalist. Dunne is one of the highest-paid college athletes in the NIL era. They were joined by nonprofit founders, TV personalities, retired college athletes, businesswomen, and creators. On paper, it’s an empowering lineup. It was an impressive group of women, no question.

However, this representation seems carefully curated. They chose athletes with massive social media followings and high commercial value. Olivia Dunne alone has more than 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. She also has endorsement deals with Accelerator Active Energy, Vuori, American Eagle, and Body Armor. Jordan Chiles was featured in Nike’s first Super Bowl commercial since 1998. Ilona Maher was the runner-up for the 2024 season of “Dancing with the Stars,” a TIME100 Next 2024 phenom, and was named one of USA TODAY’s 2025 Women of the Year.  SI’s selection feels more like a move to capitalize on the popularity and profitability of these athletes and less like a celebration of women in sports. In today’s economy, media influence can often outweigh achievement.

While this approach may not be unique to SI, it reveals a pattern worth examining. Sports Illustrated has tried to champion itself as a huge supporter of women’s athletics, starting with an edition of its magazine in 1973 titled “Women Are Getting a Raw Deal.” While this issue may have been ahead of its time, it was released just 11 months after Title IX was passed, and interest in women’s sports was on the rise. Title IX is a federal law that protects against gender discrimination in federally funded education and its programs. It gives female athletes the right to equal opportunity in any and all levels of federally funded education. 

With SI, this new emphasis on female athletes could be just a long-overdue shift towards a more equitable representation of all sports within its magazine. With record-breaking viewing of the  2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship, skyrocketing WNBA ratings, and the massive growth of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). If Sports Illustrated truly intends to reflect that shift, it must move beyond showcasing popularity and invest in year-round, comprehensive coverage of women’s sports across all levels of professionalism.

But let’s not forget, this is the same magazine that took decades to recognize female athletes on their covers, in their awards, and in their coverage. They’ve written plenty about how women in sports are overlooked while doing the same thing. Representation is more than visibility during viral moments.

So yes, the runway looked great and the brand felt empowering. But the real question isn’t about whether athletes were highlighted, it’s whether they were for the right reasons.

As Billie Jean King once said, “Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top, too.” It’s time for Sports Illustrated to stop handing out crumbs and start serving the full slice.