Favorite Female Movie Athletes in Illinois

Trailblazers on Screen: Female Movie Athletes Who Inspired Generations

Whether it be a classic bit of cinematic lore like 1992’s “A League of Their Own,” or a more recent feat of big-screen grandeur like 2017’s “Battle of the Sexes,” there’s no shortage of noteworthy female-centric sports movies to choose from over the years.

The topic once again has come alive, thanks to the soon-to-be-released tennis film, “Challengers,” which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. In the movie, Zendaya’s character is tasked with helping her down-on-his-luck pro tennis player husband (Josh O’Connor) get back on his feet.

The movie has sparked conversation around a tennis prodigy turned coach.

In anticipation of the film, IllinoisBet.com took a break from Illinois sports betting and decided to find out which female movie athletes – real or not – are most popular. Using SEMrush with a search period of Feb. 1-March 1, 2024, we found that Bethany Hamilton’s character in ”Soul Surfer” was the most famous.

Most Famous Female Movie Athletes

Rank	Character	Movie	Search Volume
T-1	Bethany Hamilton	Soul Surfer	74K
T-1	Billie Jean King	Battle of the Sexes	74K
3	Molly McGrath	Wildcats	33.1K
4	Marla Hooch	A League of Their Own	3.6K
T-5	Dottie Hinson	A League of Their Own	2.9K
T-5	Monica Wright	Love and Baskeball	2.9K
7	Jasmine Plummer	The Longshots	2.4K
8	Cathy Rush	The Mighty Macs	1.3K
9	Haley Graham	Stick It	880
10	Kelley Fliehler	The Miracle Season	720

Which Roles Illinois Residents Love Most?

Based on search volume, it seems like Illinois residents can’t get enough of lead characters like Bethany Hamilton of “Soul Surfer” and fellow tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King in “Battle of the Sexes,” with both athletes drawing totals of 74K each.

Those two trailblazers beat out Molly McGrath of “Wildcats” (33.1K search volume) and “A League of Their Own”stars Marla Hooch (3.6K search volume) and Dottie Hinson (2.9K search volume). “Love & Basketball” subject Monica Wright also had a total of 2.9K.

Throw in Jasmine Plummer of “The Longshots” (2.4K search volume), Cathy Rush of “The Mighty Macs” (1.3K search volume), Haley Graham of “Stick It” (880 search volume) and Kelley Fliehler of “The Miracle Season” (720 search volume) and you have the full list in the Prairie State.

Whether Zendaya’s portrayal of tennis prodigy turned coach Tashi Duncan will net her a spot on Illinois’ top female sports movie subject list in 2025 remains to be seen. We’ll find out for sure once Challengers hits the big screen on April 26.

IllinoisBet.com, in addition to covering Illinois sports betting apps, offers stories of general interest such as this.

Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan is a lead writer at IllinoisBet.com specializing in covering state issues. He covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.