Sports in all its expressions is an activity with deep ties to passion that gathers people around the same team and is also the dream of thousands of women around the world. 

 

Going to a national championship, the Olympic Games or any professional competition becomes the goal of Latinas who come to the United States to compete. 

 

Here are five great Latina athletes who are making history in the country doing just that: 

Nunes is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the bantamweight and featherweight categories of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where she is the current champion of both divisions. 

 

She is the first woman in UFC history to be champion of two different categories simultaneously. She is currently ranked number one in the UFC's official rankings of the top pound-for-pound female fighters. Nunes has an overall record of 19-4. 

Puig is a Puerto Rican tennis player, champion at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games in the women's singles competition.

 

She is Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medalist and was also a gold medalist at the Central American Games in Mayagüez 2010, Veracruz 2014 and Barranquilla 2018, and a silver medalist at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara 2011. 

 

Puig is currently ranked No. 44 in the World Association of Women's Tennis (WAT). 

This American basketball player is of Argentinean descent and plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian League.

 

Given her great track record, she is usually recognized as one of the best basketball players in history. In June 2017, she became the top scorer in WNBA history surpassing Tina Thompson. 

 

In addition to being a professional athlete, in 2021, she participated in the movie Space Jam 2, voicing the character of 'White Mamba.'

Laurie is of Puerto Rican descent and was a 2016 Olympic champion and runner-up in the team all-around and balance beam gymnastics competitions.

 

On Aug. 30, 2016, Hernandez was revealed as one of the celebrities who would participate in the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, with whom she won the competition. At 16 years old, Hernandez is the show's youngest winner.

Martinez is a specialist in the 800m, where she became world runner-up in 2013.

 

On Feb. 7, 2015, she set a world record in the distance medley relay at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.