Black History Month just began, and in honor of it, let’s celebrate some of the top athletes in the world. Stars like LeBron James, Simone Biles and Serena Williams are only a few who continue to shape sports today. Without their influence, what would their leagues look like now?
A’ja Wilson
A’ja Wilson is the most dominant force in the WNBA right now. Entering her ninth season with the Las Vegas Aces, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft has looked built for the spotlight from the start.
Before the league, Wilson was the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2014 and made varsity as an eighth grader. As a senior at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, she averaged 35 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks per game.
Wilson stayed home for college, committing to South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball and helping lead the program to the NCAA national championship in 2017.
In the pros, her resume is already historic: three-time WNBA champion (2022, 2023, 2025), four-time WNBA MVP (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025) and two-time WNBA Finals MVP (2023, 2025). Her accomplishments have also crossed league lines, with milestones that get discussed in the same breath as legends like LeBron James, Bill Russell and Michael Jordan.
Lamar Jackson
Jackson is the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens and one of the league’s top players. In the 2025 regular season, Baltimore finished 8-9, placing second in the AFC North.
Jackson led the Ravens with 2,549 passing yards in 13 games, an average of 196.1 yards per game, while completing 63.6% of his passes. His value is obvious, and Ravens fans regularly point to his dual-threat skill set as the engine that drives the offense.
Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP (2019, 2023). He was a unanimous pick in 2019, and in 2023 he finished one first place vote shy of being unanimous again. He has also made history with his legs, setting the single-season QB rushing record (1,206 yards in 2019) and later becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
MLB Network ranks Jazz Chisholm Jr. as the No. 2 second baseman in MLB, and he has backed it up with impact production for the New York Yankees. After he arrived from the Marlins, his on-base plus slugging climbed from .749 to .816. He also tied for 21st in the majors with 31 home runs last season.
Injuries have slowed him at times. Still, he continues to play at an elite level on the infield. In 2025, he joined the 30-30 club by hitting 30 home runs and stealing 30 bases in the same season. Only three Yankees have reached that mark: Chisholm Jr., Alfonso Soriano and Bobby Bonds.
As his career keeps building, fans believe he will cement his name in baseball history. More broadly, these athletes represent only a few of the many Black stars competing worldwide today. They not only chase their own success, but they also push the next generation forward.
A’ja Wilson: Always Shows Love To The Next Generation Of Women Athletes
Jesse Vanderveer is a basketball reporter and writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @JesseVanderveer22
