Female athletes who returned to action after giving birth

Odds are you probably saw pictures of track star Nia Ali celebrating with her smiling son, Titus, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. Last June the silver medalist and her partner, sprinter Andre De Grasse, became parents to a baby girl. 

Road bicycle racer Kristin Armstrong already possessed an Olympic gold medal when she retired to start a family in 2009. Some retirements last longer than others. Armstrong won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and she held her son while rocking her medal in Rio de Janeiro. 

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka spent some time away from the court following the birth of her son in December 2016. As Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times detailed, Azarenka withdrew from the 2017 US Open due to an ongoing custody battle. She resumed her career last year.  

Two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner and her spouse, Indiana Fever forward Candice Dupree, welcomed twins into the world in the summer of 2017. Bonner returned to the club last year and features for the Phoenix Mercury . 

In September 2013, United States Women's National Team midfielder Shannon Boxx tweeted "#Lookingahead2WC2015" as part of her pregnancy announcement. Boxx retired in fall of 2015 a reigning World Cup champion and the mother of a girl named Zoe. 

In July 2016, Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated wrote about how Sarah Brown competed at the Olympic Trials four months after she gave birth to her daughter. Apparently Brown took an entire week off before training. It's nice she gave herself time to relax!

Reports of American tennis star Lindsay Davenport retiring in 2005 and 2006 were greatly exaggerated. Per Reuters, she returned to the court roughly three months after the birth of her son in 2007. Her second comeback occurred in 2010 following the birth of her daughter Lauren. 

Along with being the world's most famous softball personality, Jennie Finch is also a mom. She gave birth to her first child in May 2006, but she was back on the field six weeks later, according to the official Team USA website. She was part of the squad that won silver at the 2008 Olympics. 

New York Liberty guard Bria Hartley was one of three WNBA players who spoke with Nina Mandell of USA Today/For The Win in May 2017 about celebrating her first Mother’s Day as a mom. In late August 2016 the Liberty announced she would miss the remainder of that campaign due to her pregnancy. She re-signed with the club in February 2018. 

As Dan Hiergesell of MMA Mania explained, Yana Kunitskaya retired from fighting in 2012 to make the transition to coaching. She eventually returned to the cage, and she was the mother of a 3-year-old son when casual fans of the sport were introduced to her on the night that she battled Cris "Cyborg" Justino in March 2018. 

Sydney Leroux, a former face of the USWNT, gave birth to son Cassius Cruz Dwyer in September 2016. She "fought like hell" to return to the pitch, and she currently features for the Orlando Pride. Leroux showed she isn't afraid to teach Cassius a lesson or two on the field. 

In October 2008, Candace Parker won WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. Of course, a little thing like maternity leave wasn't going to stop her. As Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times explained, Parker returned to the court six weeks after giving birth. 

Former USWNT star Christie Pearce, who spent the majority of her playing days as Christie Rampone, is no stranger to comebacks. She took 2005 off to have her first child, and she took a break from playing in 2009 ahead of the birth of her second daughter. She made five World Cup and four Olympic squads during her legendary career. 

Long-distance runner and multi-marathon winner Paula Radcliffe gave birth to her first child, Isla, in January 2007. In November of that same year, Radcliffe finished first in the New York City Marathon. Think of her the next time you're struggling to get to the gym.

As Kara McDermott of KUOW wrote, National Women’s Soccer League and USWNT attacker Amy Rodriguez was surprised to learn that she was pregnant and would miss the entire 2013 campaign. Rodriguez returned to club and national team duties, and she featured in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Twelve-time Olympic swimming medalist Dara Torres was 40 years old and the mother of 16-month-old Tessa when she hit the pool at the 2007 USA Swimming National Championships. She won the 100-meter freestyle and broke her own record in the 50 meter. Torres wasn't finished there, as she became the oldest swimming medalist in Olympic history at the 2008 London Games. She earned three silver medals in Beijing. 

Kerri Walsh Jennings, one half of the greatest beach volleyball team of all time, welcomed her first son into the world in May 2009, about nine months after she and teammate Misty May-Treanor repeated as Olympic champions. She told "Today" that she was pregnant when the duo completed the trifecta at the London Olympics. Don't look now, but Walsh Jennings is working on one last Olympic challenge. 

"The Karate Hottie," Michelle Waterson, gave birth to her daughter, Araya, in 2011. Two years later she defeated Jessica Penne to win the Invicta Fighting Championship atomweight  title. Waterson currently competes in the UFC. 

Serena Williams, the most dominant tennis player in history, won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. For a piece published in January 2018, she spoke with Vogue about difficulties following childbirth that delayed her comeback. She was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2018. 

According to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden , Cat Zingano is the first mom to ever fight in the UFC. Her biggest bout, to date, occurred in February 2015 when she lost to Ronda Rousey. She currently sits sixth in the UFC bantamweight rankings.