World Cup soccer star Abby Wambach was voted by the Associated Press as Female Athlete of the Year Tuesday. The annual honor is the first bestowed upon a soccer player since the award’s inception in 1931.
The 31-year-old forward burst onto the national spotlight this summer for the United States team, scoring four goals in leading the women’s team to the finals, where they lost to Japan on penalty kicks.
“We, as a team, did something that no team since Mia Hamm was able to do,” Wambach told the AP, according to a report on the U.S.’s soccer website. “Even the team that won the (Olympic) gold medal in 2008 wasn’t able to inspire and get people excited about women’s soccer. It goes to show you the impact drama can bring.”
Finishing second to Wambach was teammate Hope Solo, while Connecticut basketball star Maya Moore was third.
