Two icons. One mission. Infinite potential. 💪🏽
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and tennis legend Billie Jean King are teaming up to take women’s sports to the next level and they’re putting their money where their message is.

Malala has just launched a new initiative called Recess, a global push to promote women’s athletics, starting with strategic investments in two fast-growing leagues: the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) and the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League).

But this isn’t just about big-name partnerships. It’s personal. And powerful.

🏏 From Recess to Revolution

Malala’s passion for this project comes from lived experience.
Growing up in Pakistan, she remembers the sting of being left behind during school recess while the boys went off to play cricket. Now, she wants to make sure girls everywhere don’t miss out on the game or the opportunities it brings.

“We are capable of dialogue, we are capable of coming together,” Malala told CNN. “And sports have proven to be that powerful way of bringing communities together.”

She’s joined in this mission by her husband, Asser Malik, who brings sports management experience from Pakistan’s cricket scene, and of course, the unstoppable Billie Jean King, a longtime advocate for women’s equality in athletics.

🏀 Why Now? The Numbers Tell the Story

Women’s sports are booming and investors are finally paying attention.

• WNBA viewership is soaring: The 2025 NCAA Women’s Championship Game alone pulled in a record-breaking 9.9 million viewers on ABC.
• NWSL is on fire: Attendance grew over 40%, and its 2024 championship saw an 18% boost in TV ratings, averaging nearly a million viewers.

These aren’t just stats they’re signals. Women’s sports aren’t a trend. They’re a movement.

🌟 Recess: More Than Just a Game

Recess aims to be more than just an investment arm. It’s a global movement to empower girls through sports providing better access to facilities, training, and platforms where young women can shine.

“It’s empowering girls,” Malala said. “It’s sending a powerful message… that the sky’s the limit.”

Whether it’s a young girl in the U.S. watching her favorite WNBA star, or a student in rural Pakistan finally stepping onto a cricket pitch Recess wants to change what’s possible.

🚺 More Girl-Power in Action:

• 🏀 One-armed basketball player makes college history and inspires the nation
• 🏊‍♀️ Teen girl battles jellyfish to finish a 27-mile ocean swim, getting closer to a world record
• 🚣‍♀️ Lawyer becomes the fastest woman to row across the Atlantic, to prove to girls everywhere that anything is possible

🎯 The Bigger Picture

Malala is no stranger to breaking barriers. She’s fought for girls’ education, survived a Taliban attack, and become a global voice for justice. Now, with Recess, she’s bringing that same fire to the world of sports.

And with Billie Jean King at her side, the message is clear:

Girls belong on the field.
Girls belong in the game.
And girls deserve to win on every level.