Shohei Ohtani was praised by fans for his short but “perfect” answer when asked about his favorite female athlete.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated Women’s Night during their home game against the San Francisco Giants. As part of the festivities, the Dodgers’ social media outlets asked players who their favorite female athletes were from their 5-2 win at Elysian Park.
While his teammates jumped at the chance to name tennis legend Serena Williams, soccer legend Mia Hamm and WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark, Ohtani named his wife Mamiko Tanaka.
“My wife,” the Japanese star replied without hesitation before walking away from the camera.
The response was met with much praise from Dodgers fans in the comments section.
Shohei Ohtani named his wife when asked Tuesday who his favorite female athlete is
“W replied Ohtani,” one user wrote.
“Shohei says his wife and Kiké says his sister,” said another with a tear-filled emoji.
“Shohei is a smart man lol,” added a third.
Tanaka played for Waseeda University before entering the professional ranks in 2019 with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women’s Japan Basketball League. The 5-foot-11 forward played four years with the Red Wave before retiring in 2023.
In her final season, Tanaka shot 47.7 percent from the field and 69.9 percent from the free throw line in 28 games, according to ESPN.
Ohtani’s wife, Mamiko Tanaka, played professional basketball for four years before retiring
Tanaka played with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women’s Japan Basketball League
Tanaka also represented Japan at international competitions in the U16, U17 and U18 divisions.
In addition to the pregame poll, the players’ walk-up songs were also chosen by special women in their lives. The soundtrack to the night included Ohtani walking out to Yugo Kanno’s “Il Vento D’oro,” as per Tanaka’s selection.
The Dodgers have now won five straight games since the All-Star break and still sit atop the NL West with a 61-41 record.