The 2025 California Conference for Women took place on Wednesday at the San José McEnery Convention Center.
San José hosted the fifth California Conference for Women where the event is focused on growing careers and networking for women and inspiring other women, according to the California Conference for Women web page.
The conference featured keynote speakers such as 11-time Olympic Medalist Simone Biles, six-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, and two-time Academy Award winning actor Jane Fonda, according to the same web page.
Biles sat down with Laura Britt, a host and reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area during her session to highlight the importance of authenticity, joy, and self-care in sports for women.
“Women are so powerful, and if we can truly take on the jury, we have normal intelligence. It’s big,” Biles said.
Biles is the most decorated gymnast with 30 World Championship medals and her 11 Olympic medals make her the decorated U.S. gymnast, according to a Jul. 23 101 ESPN article.
“I had to believe in myself before others did,” Biles said. “I decided to put myself first. It takes a lot of courage when you're on a global stage.”
Like Biles, Griner herself is a female athlete and calls for recognition of women’s sports.
She feels female players often feel more valued and appreciated overseas compared to the U.S., where women’s basketball still struggles for equal visibility and support.
The Atlanta Dream said that she feels WNBA players feel the need to go overseas just to make a living and that players are appreciated more in other countries than their own.
“Representation matters – seeing women succeed in sports inspires young girls to dream bigger,” Griner said.
There has been more than a 1,000% decrease in girls involved with sports since Title IX passed, according to a Jan. 31, 2024 American Public University article.
Griner also shared that she has had to push through tough times by focusing on her love for the game and her personal growth while also stressing the importance of maintaining focus, and staying motivated.
“Sometimes, you have to be a little selfish and take care of yourself first before you can give to others,” Griner said.
A survey conducted in 2020 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) found that 16% of women respondents feel lonely constantly, according to a May 24, 2022 NCAA article.
Later in the session, Fonda highlights the power of female friendships and the necessity for women to support each other in leadership roles.
“When women come together, we draft off each other’s strength – we lift each other up,” Fonda said.
Fonda spoke about the importance of solidarity among women, highlighting how support and collaboration can create a powerful force for change.
“We are constantly changing, our lives shift, and we are good at adapting,” Fonda said. “But we also need to claim space and lead.”
