Women’s sports are experiencing a historic moment. From record-breaking attendance and viewership to growing investment, sponsorships and media coverage, female athletes are commanding more attention than ever. But today’s visibility is the result of decades of athletes, coaches, and advocates challenging a sports system not built with women in mind.
For generations, women athletes faced limited opportunities to compete, fewer scholarships and professional opportunities, unequal pay and resources, and significantly less media coverage. Title IX, passed in 1972, became a landmark moment for women’s athletics in the United States by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and dramatically expanding opportunities for girls and women in school sports.
Yet access and opportunity have never been experienced equally. Black women and other women of color have often had to navigate both gender and racial barriers, while athletes from working-class and immigrant families have faced additional financial and cultural obstacles. Their stories are essential to understanding how women’s sports evolved—and why representation matters both on the field and in leadership.
Today, women’s sports are reaching unprecedented heights, with athletes becoming cultural icons and professional leagues attracting new generations of fans. Still, the progress has also highlighted how much work remains, from pay equity and investment to media representation and access to resources.
Observed annually on August 26, Women’s Equality Day commemorates the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women in the United States the constitutional right to vote. The day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress women have made and the continued push for equality across every part of society—including athletics.
In honor of Women’s Equality Day, these three documentaries spotlight athletes and teams who challenged expectations, overcame systemic barriers and helped create opportunities for the women competing today.
Available through PBS Documentaries on Prime Video, the collection offers a meaningful watch list exploring the history, struggles and triumphs that have shaped women’s sports.
Groundbreakers
Hosted by sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King, Groundbreakers celebrates 50 years of female excellence in sports through the perspectives of athletes who helped change the system. The documentary brings together eight trailblazing athletes, including Naomi Osaka, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Chloe Kim, Nancy Lieberman, Suni Lee, Julie Foudy and Diana Flores, to reflect on the obstacles they faced and the achievements that helped move women’s sports forward.
Home Court
Home Court follows Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball phenom, as she navigates the pressures of competitive basketball alongside the challenges her immigrant family faces. The coming-of-age documentary explores race, class, family expectations and resilience, including Ashley’s journey through a devastating knee injury. Through it all, her humor and natural talent shine as she pursues her dreams on the court.
Playing Like a Girl: The House That Rob Built
An Emmy-winning story about the underdog Lady Griz basketball team at the University of Montana, Playing Like a Girl: The House That Rob Built chronicles a pivotal era in women’s college basketball. As Title IX ushered in equal funding, scholarships and facilities, coach Rob Selvig pushed his players to embrace a philosophy that was revolutionary for its time: expecting women to play just as hard as men. The result was a team that helped redefine what women’s basketball could look like.
Playing Like A Girl, PBS
PBS
Together, these documentaries offer more than a look at sports—they tell stories of barriers broken, expectations challenged, and doors opened for the next generation of female athletes. On Women’s Equality Day, they remind us that the progress visible in women’s sports today was built by generations of women who demanded a place in the game—and refused to settle for less.
PBS Documentaries on Prime Video is a streaming destination for documentary series and films. The subscription is $4.99/month in the U.S. and CAN$5.99/month in Canada with an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. Every purchase helps support public television for all.
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