Societal stereotypes and biases about who belongs in physics and who can excel in it can impact physics beliefs, including the self-efficacy, interest, and identity, e.g., of women in physics courses. Exploring these beliefs longitudinally and analyzing how different beliefs predict students' physics identity are important for developing a better understanding of the experiences of women who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in their mandatory physics courses and making the learning environment equitable and inclusive. We analyzed beliefs of students longitudinally in introductory physics 1 and physics 2, which are mandatory for students on the bioscience track, and used structural equation modeling (SEM) and a physics identity framework to investigate whether the relation between gender and physics identity was mediated by self-efficacy, interest, and perceived recognition by others. Although women are not underrepresented in this two-semester physics course sequence for students on the bioscience track, societal stereotypes and biases internalized by women over their lifetime can impact their beliefs about physics when they enter these physics classes and gender gaps can persist if the physics learning environment is not equitable and inclusive. Our findings show a gender gap in beliefs disadvantaging women throughout the physics course sequence. Additionally, the SEM model of physics identity shows that physics perceived recognition by others plays a central role in predicting students' physics identity throughout the two-semester course sequence.