The Power of Showing Up as Yourself: Darcy Leslie Receives the 2026 Dove CROWN Impact Award

When Darcy Leslie heard her name called, she recognized the moment would stay with her long after her final football season: a standing ovation from her peers and coaches.

For the Texas Elite Spartans linebacker, receiving the 2026 Dove CROWN Impact Award was an emotional affirmation of the legacy she has worked to build. Those who shared her journey celebrated her impact, her character, and the woman she had been throughout it.

“My hope has always been to leave this game better than I found it,” Leslie said. “Hearing my name called and receiving a standing ovation from my peers and coaches was an incredibly emotional moment. It reminded me that the work I’ve done, both on and off the field, has mattered.”

Introduced through the WNFC’s growing partnership with Dove and Unilever, the Dove CROWN Impact Award recognizes a woman within the league who leads authentically, embraces her natural hair, and uses her voice and influence to uplift others. Presented by Van Van during the WNFC Championship Breakfast & Awards Show on Championship Sunday, the honor celebrates leadership, inclusion, confidence, integrity, and meaningful impact beyond football.

The award draws its inspiration from the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The legislation prohibits race-based discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists, and knots, in workplaces and schools. Dove’s work supporting the movement champions the right to embrace natural hair without facing bias or barriers.

Within the WNFC, that mission carries a powerful message: women deserve the opportunity to compete, contribute, and lead as their full selves.

Leslie understands how much belonging can mean.

She came to the United States from Belize at six years old. With a thick Belizean accent, she faced bullying while trying to find her footing in a new country. Sports became an outlet, giving her a place to direct her energy and discover her strengths.

She quickly recognized that her natural athletic ability could help keep some of the bullying at bay. Over time, that initial motivation grew into a love of competing. Athletics gave her confidence, community, and a place where she felt accepted.

Football would become a significant part of that journey, opening doors to experiences and relationships she could never have imagined as a little girl navigating an unfamiliar world.

That history gives weight to the message Leslie wants other women to hear.

“I want women to know that they don’t have to change who they are to belong, succeed, or lead,” she said. “Our hair, our identities, and our self-expression are part of who we are, and we should never feel pressured to sacrifice those things to be accepted in sports or any other space.”

For Leslie, embracing natural hair and personal expression also creates an opportunity to lead. A woman who shows up confidently as herself can help another woman or girl recognize that she has permission to do the same.

That visibility matters in sports, where expectations about what an athlete should look like can overshadow what she brings to the game. Leslie believes talent, character, and work ethic should define an athlete’s opportunities. Her example challenges limiting standards and encourages women to claim their place without surrendering their identity.

Those values sit at the heart of the Dove CROWN Impact Award. Its nomination criteria call for women who foster belonging, support others, speak courageously, and create positive change across their teams, communities, workplaces, or sport.

Leslie’s recognition celebrates the connection between those ideals and her journey. As she reflects on her career and looks toward her final season, she is thinking deeply about what the next generation will inherit, and how her example can help make their path more welcoming.

She also carries profound gratitude for the league and the athletes she has encountered along the way. Women’s football has given her relationships, lessons, and memories that will remain long after she steps off the field. Being honored by that same community made the award especially meaningful.

The standing ovation offered Leslie a moment to feel the impact of a career she hopes has helped others. The award gives that impact a wider platform, carrying her message to women and girls still finding their confidence.

“You deserve to show up as your authentic self,” Leslie said.

With the 2026 Dove CROWN Impact Award, the WNFC celebrates Darcy Leslie for doing exactly that, and for helping others see that they belong, too.