The fervor over the U.S. Women's National Team and its victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup this past summer made two things clear: Women's sports are ascendant and the fight for equal pay is heating up. The Seattle area currently has a courtside seat to all the action. Professional teams here are seeing continued success and tremendous change as they further knit themselves into the fabric of their communities and the future of American athletics. And the players that will populate that future are being trained here as well, be they college champions or hopeful juniors. Meanwhile the fight for equal pay goes on. In this edition of Crosscut's Focus series, we explore the shifting landscape of women's athletics, explain how it is transforming our region and spotlight the women who play here.