The Women’s Sports Foundation’s annual dinner was held on Thursday at Cipriani Wall Street, with boxer Claressa Shields and Paralympics basketball athlete Natalie Schneider both walking away with some hardware. The two were both named the Sportswoman of the Year. Shields won the award as an individual athlete while Schneider captured the honors in the team event.

Shields, who is currently the light middleweight champion of the world, has never lost a fight in her boxing career with a perfect 14-0 record. She's won three bouts since the beginning of 2022, beating Ema Kozin, Savannah Marshall, and Maricela Cornejo, retaining all her belts. Pound for pound, Shields is probably the best women's boxer in the world right now and certainly deserves to win this award.

On top of that, Shields has also signed with the Professional Fighter's League (PFL), going 1-1 in her MMA career. The Flint, Michigan native plans to fight in the PFL sometime in 2024. Claressa Shields just won her first ESPY in the summer, too.

As for Schneider, she's won three medals at the Paralympics. The 40-year-old captured gold in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and also in 2016 with Team USA. The Americans won bronze in 2020. At the World Championships in 2022, Schneider helped the States win bronze in Dubai.

Billy Jean King, who spoke at the event, expressed her excitement for seeing how women have continued to evolve in sports over the last few years. Via AP:

“We must always challenge and strive to change the status quo,” King said. “I am encouraged to see this year’s honorees who are breaking records, eliminating barriers and empowering future generations to keep playing.”

King was a catalyst behind helping women at the US Open earn equal play, with this summer's tournament marking the 50th anniversary.

Congrats to Claressa Shields and Natalie Schneider.