The 'athlete moms' who dominated their sports, from Serena Williams to Alex Morgan

In 2022, Collier gave birth to her daughter. Just 74 days later, less than three months, she returned to playing and did not miss a beat.

Allyson Felix, Track & Field

Allyson Felix (USA) competes in the 4x400 Meters Relay.

The most decorated American track and field athlete, Felix was a star at Los Angeles Baptist (now Heritage Christian School), graduating in 2003. She's won 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold, over five consecutive games.

Felix is a mother of two, giving birth to her daughter, Camryn, in 2018, and her son, Kenneth, in 2024. Camryn's birth was a pivotal moment in Felix's life as she was born via an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. Due to the lack of maternity protections in her contract at the time, she left Nike and would go on to advocate for maternal protections.

Jennie Finch, Softball

Former Olympic softball player Jennie Finch presents a golden ticket to the AUSL draft after a NCAA softball game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Sherri Lee Parker Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 2, 2026.

Finch was a dominant softball player at La Mirada High (CA) and was quickly recognized as one of the best players in the country. She led Arizona to a national title and became the face of the sport, leading the Olympic team to gold in 2004 and silver in 2008.

A mother of three, Finch had her oldest son Ace in 2006, and he brought him to the 2008 Olympic Games. She retired in 2010 to focus on her family, which now includes Ace, Diesel (Born 2011), and Paisley (Born 2013).

Kerri Walsh Jennings, Beach Volleyball

Walsh Jennings was a multi-sport athlete at Archbishop Mitty High School (CA) who found most of her success on the volleyball court, becoming the first-ever Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year in 1996.

She would find success on the beach volleyball scene, winning a record 135 professional games and Olympic gold in 2004, 2008, and 2012. A mother of three, Walsh Jennings famously competed in the 2012 Olympic Games five weeks pregnant with her son, Scout.

Lisa Leslie, Basketball

1 Sep 2001: Lisa Leslie #9 of the Los Angeles Sparks holds the 2001 Finals MVP trophy after defeating the Charlotte Sting in game two of the WNBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Sparks won 82-54 to sweep the series 2-0 and take the Championship. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Harry How/Allsport

Leslie was the top-ranked player in the country when she played at Morningside High School in Inglewood (CA), including a 101-point game in 1990. After leading the Monarchs to back-to-back state titles, she played at USC, winning National Player of the Year honors in 1994.

Her success didn't end in college; she became one of the most important players in WNBA history, winning league MVP honors three times, two WNBA championships (2001, 2002), and four Olympic gold medals.

In 2007, Leslie took the season off after the birth of her daughter, Lauren. She returned in 2008, winning Olympic gold and her fourth MVP. Leslie retired from the league in 2009 to focus on her family and had her son Michael in 2010.

Jessica Mendoza, Softball

Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sports broadcaster Jessica Mendoza looks on before game five between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Mendoza broke onto the national scene at Adolfo Camarillo High School as a multi-sport star but found fame in softball. From there, she found fame during USA Softball's peak, winning an Olympic gold medal in 2004, a silver medal in 2008, and three world championships (2002, 2006, 2010) while also playing professionally.

She had her first son, Caleb, during that prime era, as he was born in 2009. She retired from the game in 2014, the year her second son, Caden, was born. While she no longer plays, Mendoza still balances being a mom while also being one of the lead voices on ESPN's MLB coverage.

Maya Moore, Basketball

Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore (23) dribbles in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks in game two of the WNBA Finals on Oct. 11, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Moore is regarded as one of the best women's basketball players in history, and for good reason. After a stellar high school career at Collins Hill (GA), she was the centerpiece of UConn's 90-game winning streak that included national titles in 2009 and 2010.

She did it all in the WNBA, winning Rookie of the Year in 2011, MVP honors in 2014, and four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017). Moore retired from the WNBA to focus on social justice advocacy and her family, including her son JJ, who was born in 2022.

Alex Morgan, Soccer

Sep 16, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Wave former player Alex Morgan looks on during the fifth inning of the game between the Padres and the Houston Astros at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Morgan was one of the nation's best as a high school standout for Diamond Bar High School (CA). She would go on to win two World Cups and a 2012 Olympic gold medal with the women's national team, scoring 123 international goals, ranking fifth all-time.

In 2020, she had her daughter, Charlie. Morgan would retire from professional soccer in 2024, and in March 2025, she had her son, Enzo.

Candace Parker, Basketball

Candace Parker had two dunks in the same game against Army.

Parker graduated from Naperville Central and would go on to star at Tennessee before becoming a WNBA legend. A three-time WNBA champion, she made history in 2008 by becoming the only player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors.

Lailaa, her first of three children, was born in 2009, and seven weeks after her birth, Parker returned to the court. Her sons, Airr and Hartt, were born in 2022 and 2024.

Christie Rampone, Soccer

At Point Pleasant Borough High School, Rampone became the first female athlete in New Jersey history to lead her conference in three different sports. What followed was a 19-year international career on the women's national team, where she earned the name 'Captain America' and the second-most caps in international soccer history.

Many regarded Rampone as the 'Ultimate Soccer Mom', the way she balanced her career with motherhood. In 2005, she had her daughter, Brooklynn, and in 2009, Rampone revealed she was three months pregnant with her second daughter, Reece, while leading Sky Blue FC as a player-coach to a title.

Sheryl Swoopes, Basketball

Former WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes co-hosts "The Court of Legends" event at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on April 5, 2026.

A standout at Brownfield High School, Swoopes is still regarded as one of the greatest players in Texas history. In 1997, she became the first player signed to the WNBA and would go on to have a prolific career.

A three-time WNBA MVP, four-time WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Swoopes did all of that while balancing motherhood. Her son Jordan was born just six weeks before her WNBA debut in 1997.

Elana Meyers Taylor, Bobsled

Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs (USA) celebrate at the venue victory ceremony after placing second in the women's bobsleigh during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at Olympic Sliding Centre.

A 2002 graduate of Lithia Springs High School (GA), Meyers Taylor has since become the most decorated American female athlete and the most decorated black athlete in Olympic Winter Games history. She's competed in the games five times in a row, medaling every time.

In 2026, she won her first gold medal in women's monobob, becoming the oldest woman to win individual gold in Winter Games history. Her two sons, Nico and Noah, were born deaf in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Noah celebrated her 2026 gold medal by putting it on and signing "Noah, champion."

Dara Torres, Swimming

Swimmer Dara Torres, 45, speaks in the Gold Room at The Breakers Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Torres is one of the greatest swimmers in American history, a standout at Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles, where she graduated in 1985. She was a five-time Olympian who competed in 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008, winning at least one medal in each.

In 2006, she gave birth to her daughter, Tessa Grace, and returned to training just a week and a half later. Two years later, she competed in her final Olympic Games and credited her daughter with her return. She would win three silver medals in Beijing.

Serena Williams, Tennis

Serena Williams defeated Simona Halep, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the Western and Southern Open finals at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Sunday August 23, 2015.

Williams turned pro at 14 and was primarily homeschooled for much of her childhood. However, she attended Driftwood Academy in Lake Park (FL) and had become a global icon by the time she graduated.

Considered by many as the greatest women's tennis player ever, she won 39 Grand Slam titles. In 2017, she won the Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant with the first of her two daughters, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. Her second daughter, Adira, was born in 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Which of these 'athlete moms' defined success on and off the field?