Women's World Cup a global paradigm shift for women's sports - USWNT's Megan Rapinoe - ESPN

United States women's national team forward Megan Rapinoe said that the upcoming Women's World Cup feels like a «paradigm shift» but that women's sports continue to face challenges in terms of equality.

«I think, just in general, women's sports right now feels like we're sort of out of just the dogged fight phase. Not that there's not a lot still to fight for,» Rapinoe told reporters on Tuesday as the USWNT gears up for the training camp before the July 20 to Aug. 20 event in Australia and New Zealand.

Rapinoe and the USWNT led efforts for equal prize money between the men's and women's teams, which led to a new collective bargaining agreement, better benefits and more equal travel arrangements.

— Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

«It feels like a real opportunity to blow the lid off just in terms of fanfare and media and sponsorships and the sort of larger business around this sport,» Rapinoe said, adding that it «feels almost like a 'show up and show out' kind of vibe.

»I think everyone is sort of hip to the game now and understands that this is not somewhere that's just like, oh, we should cheer for the Women's World Cup because that's the right thing to do.

«It is actually terrible business if you are not tuning in, you are missing out on a large cultural moment. I think we know that the bottom line, equality is actually good for business, that is something special that the women's game has and this is the premier women's sporting event in the world bar none and this is a paradigm shift globally, not just in the U.S.»

USWNT striker Alex Morgan shared similar sentiments about the progress but stopped short of saying the USWNT had achieved all its goals.

«I think it just shows how far the game has come