Fans praised Shohei Ohtani for his short but “perfect” answer when asked about his favorite female athlete.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated Women’s Night at their home game against the San Francisco Giants. As part of the festivities, the Dodgers’ social media asked players who their favorite female athletes were before their 5-2 win at Elysian Park.
While his teammates took the opportunity to name-drop tennis legend Serena Williams, soccer great 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 received plenty of praise from Dodgers fans in the comments section.
Shohei Ohtani named his wife when asked who his favorite female athlete is on Tuesday
“We will respond Ohtani,” wrote one user.
“Shohei says she’s his wife and Kiké says she’s his sister,” said another with a tearful emoji.
“Shohei is a smart man,” added a third.
Tanaka played for Waseeda University before breaking into the professional ranks in 2019 with Fujitsu Red Wave of the Japan Women’s Basketball League. The 1.80-meter-tall forward played with the Red Wave for four years before retiring in 2023.
In his 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 four years of professional basketball before retiring.
Tanaka played for Fujitsu Red Wave of the Japan Women’s Basketball League.
Tanaka also represented Japan in international competitions in the U16, U17 and U18 divisions.
In addition to the pre-match poll, the special women in their lives also chose the songs they sang upon entering the stadium. The soundtrack of the evening included Ohtani coming out on stage to Yugo Kanno’s “Il Vento D’oro,” as selected by Tanaka.
The Dodgers have won five straight games since the All-Star break and remain atop the National League West with a 61-41 record.