Always mistress of her own ship, tennis superstar Serena Williams chose to sit on a throne, wearing high heels for her Sports Illustrated cover story honor of 'Sportsperson of the Year'. SI managing editor Christian Stone wrote on SI.com that Serena wanted to express her own ideal of femininity, strength and power."

"This year was spectacular for me. For @sportsillustrated to recognize my hard work, my dedication, and my sheer determination gives me hope to continue on and do better," she wrote. "As I always say, it takes a village it's not just one person. This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team. I am beyond honored."

It's over 30 years since runner Mary Decker won the SI award by herself as a female athlete. SI also honored Chris Evert (1976) and Billie Jean King 1972. Serena Williams is the first woman to be honored solo without sharing the award with a male athlete.

VOX educates readers on the backstory on the choice of Williams as a combination of athletic dominance, cultural importance and personal growth. Within this context, Serena Williams is the "decisive" choice, writes Stone.

Racism "has tarnished nearly every victory, magazine cover, and interview of (Williams's) entire incredible career." wrote Jenée Desmond-Harris. The Williams sisters were booed in 2001 at the BNP Paribas Open In Indian Wells, California after allegations of match fixing.

Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells for the first time in 14 years, in part because she wanted to speak out against racism in the aftermath of the Ferguson protests. The superstar has raised more than $100,000 for the Equal Justice Initiative which works to highlight and quantify racial disparities.