Associated Press Sports Editors and the APSE Foundation on Wednesday announced that Lindsay Schnell, who was with USA Today Sports in 2024 and now is with The Athletic, is the second winner of the Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage.
Schnell was selected by the final judging panel for her four-story portfolio of content written in 2024 about women’s sports.
“I’m so overwhelmed, in the best way possible, by this honor,” Schnell said. “I’ve spent my entire career fighting for coverage of women. As women’s sports have exploded in popularity the last few years it’s been so gratifying to not only have a front-row seat, but be able to chronicle their rise.”
Schnell will be presented with her award on June 28 during the APSE summer conference at the Marriott Courtyard Minneapolis Downtown. She also receives a $5,000 grant from the Billie Jean King Foundation.
“Congratulations to Lindsay Schnell on receiving this year’s award for excellence in women’s sports coverage, and thank you to all the journalists who entered the APSE competition,” Billie Jean King said. “Sustainable media coverage of women’s sports is vital to the continued growth of women’s sports. These journalists tell our stories, and the Billie Jean King Foundation is proud to partner with APSE to spotlight and celebrate all journalists who have made a commitment to cover women’s sports year-round.”
Schnell finished ahead of runner-up Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, and Hailey Salvian of The Athletic placed third.
Other finalists were (in alphabetical order):
- Katie Barnes, ESPN.com: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Tess DeMeyer, The Athletic: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Emily Giambalvo, The Washington Post: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Marisa Ingemi, The San Francisco Chronicle: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Jeff Kassouf, ESPN.com: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Eden Laase, Hoops HQ: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Charlotte Varnes, IndyStar: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Schnell’s entry: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Buckner’s entry: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
- Salvian’s entry: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Sixty-four entries were received for this year’s contest, organized by APSE and the APSE Foundation in a partnership with the Billie Jean King Foundation.
The Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage was created in February 2024 to highlight and elevate journalism created around women’s athletics, professionally, collegiately and at the local level.
Judges’ comments on the top three finalists:
“Lindsay Schnell’s portfolio tackled some of the biggest issues facing women athletes today – body image, race, motherhood, mental health – head on. I really got to know these women, and what is important to them, through Lindsay’s writing. She showed versatility and creativity.”
“Candace Buckner is a fearless voice and a thought leader in the coverage of women’s sports. The details woven into her pieces, the commitment to a given stance, and just plain pretty prose set her apart. She tackled the biggest storylines in women’s sports and didn’t shy away from intersectionalities such as race in her columns.”
“Hailey Salvian’s coverage of the inaugural season of the PWHL came from a blank slate, which presents both an opportunity to tell stories for the first time, but also the challenge of not overwriting because it’s never been done before. Salvian’s entries deftly met the balance for engaging reporting and storytelling. Despite a potential language barrier, Salvian’s story on undrafted Japanese rookie Akane Shiga was full of fun details and engaging information. She was also able to find new avenues on the league’s most familiar face in Sarah Nurse. It was a truly enjoyable entry to read, top to bottom.”
