In our weekly feature on the ins and outs in women's sport, golfer Michelle Wie announces she is expecting her first child while Serena Williams is back in the trophy winner's circle.

A week in the world of women's sport

A week in the world of women's sport

Cricket

India have become the first team to announce their 15-player squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup with uncapped batter Richa Ghosh the only newcomer to the squad.

The 16-year-old Richa Ghosh played her way into the squad with some promising performances for India B in recent months.

Veteran Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the team.

Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodriguez, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Richa Ghosh, Tania Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gaikwad, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy.

Here's the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Trophy Tour at Bondi Beach with Australia's Alyssa Healey and few other stars taking part.

Football

Chelsea were the big winners in the Women's Super League over the weekend, but Arsenal remain the pacesetters.

The Blues hammered Bristol City 6-1 with Beth England and Ji So-yun both notching up a brace.

Defending champions Arsenal were also comfortable winners as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 away from home with the goals coming from Danielle van de Donk, Jill Roord, Jordan Nobbs and Beth Mead.

Manchester City kept pace with Arsenal as they beat Everton 3-1 at home, Reading were 1-0 winners over Birmingham, and Tottenham claimed some London bragging rights as they secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham.

Liverpool's clash with Manchester United at Prenton Park was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.  

The Gunners have a three-point lead over Man City after this weekend's results with Chelsea third, but with a game in hand.

The Gunners have a three-point lead over Man City after this weekend's results with Chelsea third, but with a game in hand.

Golf

Congratulations Michelle Wie and husband Jonnie West!

The couple has announced that they are expecting their first child - a girl - in the summer.

But don't for one minute think this is end of Wie as a golfer as she wants "come back even stronger" and wants her daughter to see her play on the LPGA Tour.

"I do know, especially now having a baby girl, the motivation to come back is even stronger," Wie told ESPN. "Because I'm having a girl, I want her to see me play, and be a strong woman. That's really important.

"I always thought I'd be the person that I'm going to quit when I have kids. Now it's different."

Meanwhile, the United States have confirmed their captain for the 2021 Solheim Cup on home soil with six-times LPGA Tour winner Pat Hurst given the honour.

Hurst was Juli Inkster's assistant at the last three Solheim Cups, but she is ready for the step up at next year's tournament at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

"I loved being an assistant captain," she wrote in a blog on the LPGA Tour's website.

"No cheers in women’s golf match the Solheim Cup. Nothing makes your hair stand up or causes tingles to run down your arms like the drama and intensity of those three days."

She added: "Now that I’ve been blessed with this great honor and awesome responsibility, I’m giving it all I’ve got. I’ll almost certainly use the pod system again. Why mess with success? And I’ll certainly get out to see more young players, the ones I haven’t had a chance to meet or see play."

And here is outgoing captain Inkster's message of support to Hurst.

The new LPGA Tour-Ladies European Tour joint venture has received the backing of the R&A and European Tour as both organisations will have a seat on the board of directors and they will provide financial support.

"It’s exciting to see so many stakeholders in the game give their attention and their support to rebuilding a stronger women’s professional tour in Europe," LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan told the official LPGA website.

"This significant commitment by The R&A and the European Tour is an immediate, important endorsement of the vision for the new LPGA-LET partnership."

Netball

The Vitality Netball Nations Cup is less than a week away with England taking on New Zealand in their first match in Nottingham on January 19. South Africa will face Jamaica in the opening fixture of the tournament on the same day.

And in case you missed the squad announcement just before Christmas, here is head coach Jess Thirlby doing the honours.

The transfer window for the 2020 Vitality Netball Superleague has shut and the 10 franchises have all confirmed their 15-player squads for the season.

Head to Netballs.com for the squads.

Don't forget the season opener will take place on February 22 at Arena Birmingham with all 10 teams in action on the Saturday.

Tennis

The 2020 WTA Tour season is officially up and running and we have our first title winners with Serena Williams and Karolina Pliskova the big winners.

"It feels good, it has been a long time," was Williams' conclusion after she ended her three-year drought for a trophy with victory in the ASB Classic final in Auckland.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 to lift her first title since the 2017 Australian Open and first since becoming a mother.

"It feels good, it has been a long time," the former world No 1 said. "I played an incredible opponent in Jessica and honestly it was a great match."

She added: "I feel fortunate and blessed to be out here and to be healthy and to play. I have been playing for so long and been through so much and I’m happy to be doing something I love."

World No 2 Pliskova has gone where no other woman has gone before as she won the Brisbane International for a third time, beating Madison Keys from the United States 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the final.

But the Czech knows it won’t necessarily translate to automatic success at the Australian Open.

"I can still feel well and confident but I have to start from zero. I have to go out and get some practices and be ready for it. Anything can happen," she said.

By Shahida Jacobs, editor of Tennis365.com


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