Ojai, California - Step aside fellas: Women athletes are now gearing up to play some pickleball.

Ladies, grab your paddles!

WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike has co-launched the Women’s International Pickleball Association (WIPA) with some fellow all-stars to continue to empower women athletes in the sport.

As pickleball shines as one of the fastest-growing games in the world - with "women making up the fastest growing segment of the sport" - WIPA said it aims to "ensure women in pickleball have an ecosystem to best serve their success."

WIPA officially launched on Wednesday at the espnW Women + Sports Summit, led by Senior pickleball pro and CEO Rachel Hong and Disrupt the Game president Allison Galer – who also serve as co-founders alongside Ogwumike.

"Pickleball has really transformed the lives of so many people that I love,"Ogwumike said at the summit.

"They're [WIPA cofounders] creating equitable opportunities and access for this sport to really thrive."

The enthusiasm for the pickleball continues to soar for women in sports because of the longevity the game allows for its players.

"As females, oftentimes choosing to pursue a career as a professional athlete comes at the cost of putting off your education, launching a career, and delaying starting a family," professional pickleball player Lee Whitwell said in a statement.

"With pickleball being so new combined with the fact that females are generally underrepresented when it comes to sponsorships, I am so grateful to have the WIPA working behind the scenes to make it more feasible for us to choose pickleball as a career."

Athletes affiliated with WIPA will have the chance to play in the first-ever Pickleball World Tour exclusively for women. WIPA will announce further information about the tour later this year.