Plot Synopsis

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, ESPN Films, in conjunction with espnW, produced this series of nine documentary films about women in sports that were directed by female filmmakers. The nine films are: "Venus vs." (directed by Ava DuVernay), which chronicles how Venus Williams changed tennis by lobbying Parliament, UNESCO and Fleet Street for financial parity for Wimbledon and the French Open, achieving her goals in 2007 after a two-year battle; "Pat XO" (directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern), for which Pat Summitt's son, Tyler, tells the story about the winningest coach in the history of the NCAA basketball, while seeking recollections from assistant coaches, former players, and superstar admirers; "Let Them Wear Towels" (directed by Anna Sundberg and Ricki Stern), which highlights the challenging history of female reporters getting access to locker rooms, starting with Melissa Ludtke who successfully challenged Major League Baseball after she was kept out of the New York Yankees locker room; "No Limits" (directed by Alison Ellwood), which documents the life of free-diver Audrey Mestre, who died while making a 561-foot dive trying to best the 525-foot record set by her rival, Tanya Streeter; "Swoopes" (directed by Hannah Storm), which chronicles the triumphs -- as well as the trials and tribulations -- of Sheryl Swoopes, a three-time WNBA MVP, who gave birth in the middle of her first WNBA championship season, divorced her high school sweetheart, and became the highest-profile athlete in her sport to declare she was gay; "The Diplomat" (directed by Jennifer Arnold and Senain Kheshgi), which documents how Katarina Witt, one of the greatest skaters of all time, fought for her future in socialist East Germany, how she faced the great changes that occurred after the fall of The Berlin Wall and, ultimately, how she ended up both a beneficiary and victim of the East German regime; "Runner" (directed by Shola Lynch), which features Mary Decker, who dominated her sport with U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 1,000 meters but with no Olympic medal, including her famous fall in the '84 Games when dueling with Zola Budd; "The '99ers" (directed by Erin Leyden), for which longtime team captain Julie Foudy lends her voice to the story of the 1999 women's World Cup team, reuniting with her teammates and examining how women's soccer has changed since Brandi Chastain's penalty kick on July 10, 1999 in the Rose Bowl; and "Branded" (directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady), which explores the double standard placed on women athletes to be the best players on the field and the sexiest off them, by examining the lives of Lolo Jones, Lisa Leslie, Chris Evert, Mary Lou Retton, Gabrielle Reece, Hope Solo, Laila Ali, and Brandi Chastain. NINE FOR IX aired Tuesdays at 8pm ET on ESPN for nine consecutive week, starting on July 2, 2013.