Experts see a wide data gap in women’s sports science. This WNBA team owner wants to fix it

March 7, 2026

New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai identified a major gap in sports science data for women when she took over the team in 2019, with most research based on male subjects applied to female athletes. Women’s sports participation has surged—now 44% of NCAA athletes—but only 6% of studies focus exclusively on females.

Key Initiative

Wu Tsai funded the 10-year Human Performance Alliance five years ago to address this, including building the Women’s Health Sports and Performance Institute (WHSP) in Boston, which opened in January.

Goals Ahead

The project aims to predict injuries preemptively, personalize training and recovery, and close the physiological data gap for women, ensuring female athletes get equivalent scientific support. CTINSIDER