Lauren Hill, Mo'ne Davis, Lucy Li, Becky Hammon some of 2014's top women in sports
Lauren Hill is the college freshman who, back in November, wanted to start on her school's team after she discovered she had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. On Tuesday, she reached her fundraising goal of $1 million, which will be put toward cancer research. This year, Hill is just one example of the women who triumphed in sports, reports CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano.
When Mo'ne Davis took the mound in this year's Little League World Series, she became the first girl ever to win a World Series game.
She said for her, throwing like a girl means throwing a ball 70 mph. The 13-year-old threw strike after strike after strike and her fastball and quick wit earned her a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
"It's pretty rare, if we're being honest, for athletes to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine," Grant Wahl, a senior writer for the magazine, said. "Her success came at a time when there was a lot of negativity in the sports world. I think Americans wanted a reason to fall in love with sports again."
Americans instantly fell in love with college freshman Lauren Hill. She sunk a basket and inspired a nation when she made her college basketball debut -- her wish after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
"I wanted to wear the shoes and the jersey and feel like a super hero again, because that's what I feel when I put on the jersey," Hill said.
Golfer Lucy Li made international headlines at just 11 years old as the youngest player ever to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open.
"There are several examples this year were able to go into places where they hadn't been before in American sports and do well," Wahl said.
Another was former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The avid football fan is the only female member of the new College Football Playoff committee, a selection that attracted a few critics. Rice may never have spiked a ball, but that didn't stop a campaign to draft her as commissioner of the NFL.
And in August, Becky Hammon went from WNBA point guard, to assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs. She's the first female full-time NBA coach.
"I gotta be perfectly honest. It's never been about the woman thing it's about, 'Hey, she has a great basketball mind and I think she'd be a great addition to our program,'" Hammon said.
There's a lot still to be excited about for women in sports. The Women's World Cup is coming up next year and there are more teams competing than ever before.