Women’s water polo is a minor aquatic sport that Americans commonly overlook.
I don’t understand why aquatic sports are in the background of athletics. Water polo is the most riveting sport of them all. With women like Maggie Steffens who play it, it’s hard not to pay attention to it.
Maggie Steffens is not a name that sports fans would recognize unless they are familiar with water polo, but it’s one that they should be aware of. Steffens has been a member of the US Women’s National Team since she was just 19 years old, and since then has been named by many people-including myself-as the best player in the world.
Maggie first made headlines in the water polo community for her performance in the 2012 London Games when she tied for the most goals scored in an Olympics (21). This dominant performance would establish only the basis of her career.
Steffens was named the captain of her national team squad and has been very successful in her position. She led the US Women’s National Team to three consecutive gold medals at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics.
At the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Maggie scored 18 goals to become the all-time leading scorer at the Olympics with 56 total goals. With her one-of-a-kind effort, she led the United States to a three-peat and helped establish the team as one of the top teams in the world.
Before becoming the player she is today, Steffens had to develop somewhere. You don’t just become this astounding of a player without development. For Steffens, Stanford was that somewhere.
Being a school known for its top-tier aquatics programs, Stanford’s women’s water polo team has been dominant since its installation in 2001, and it became the breeding ground for many Olympic team members.
Stanford offered a place for Steffens to grow as an athlete, and she took advantage of the opportunity provided. Maggie thrived at Stanford, helping to lead her team to 3 NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015, and 2017.
However, Steffens isn’t the only one in her family to play such dominating water polo. Winning is in her blood.
Both her father, brother, and uncle all played polo at Cal, while her sister played polo at Stanford and was also a member of the Olympic team. Her father led Cal to an NCAA Championship, and her sister won gold in 2012.
Outside of the Olympics, Steffens has been making a dominant club campaign this year.
She scored eight goals at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka and led the team to a fifth-place finish. A couple of months later, at the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup in Long Beach, she racked up 17 goals and led the team to a first-place finish.
For aspiring young female athletes everywhere, Maggie Steffens is an inspiration. She has established herself as one of the US’s top athletes and continues to meet expectations.
Be sure to look out for Steffens in the 2024 Paris Olympics as she and the rest of the women’s water polo team look to four-peat.
