The 50 Greatest Female Athletes of the Past 20 Years

[ochoopsfan]

Elin Nordegren
she changed the face of golf(and the windows on a SUV) more than any other women out there.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

IMO Graf is the best player in women's tennis history and should be ahead of any other women's player, especially Sharapova.

The article is the last 20 years. Graf and Sharapova each have 7 GS titles in the last 20 years (though Graf is one of the two greatest players of all time).

Serena has 19 GS titles in that time frame. Not sure how she could remotely be ahead of Serena for the last 20 years.

 

[boontonbomber]

Never saw anyone woman as athletic as Marion Jones. Unfortunately...

 

[AZHuskiePop]

As a golfer I like Annika maybe the best technical golfer of the last 50 years.
The Ben Hogan of the LPGA
I know this is a recent list but as an old guy
The best woman athlete I ever saw was Waterbury's Joanie Joyce
A legendary pitcher
I once saw her score 30 points for a barnstorming BB team.
Playing an All- Star team from out of state
There where some good players but she was at least twice a good as the next best player.
She also started golfing after she retired from Softball and became good enough to earn an LPGA card.
I went to college with some guys from her area ,who wanted her to use her brothers name and play on their LL team.
They swear she could have gotten them to Williamsport.

 

[BroadwayVa]

As Java suggested this list has no credibility. Skyler Diggins (No WCBB NCs, no Olympics, and one good year in the pros out of two) but no Maya? Based on actual accomplishments, I'd list Tiffany Hayes before Skyler. Tina Charles? Penny Taylor?, Lauren Jackson?, Beckey Hammon? Katie Douglas? Katie Smith? Siemone Augustus? Kara Lawson? Not saying any of these are "50 Greatest" stature but ALL would be better choices in basketball than Diggins. A triumph of style over substance, popularity over accomplishment.

If this list is about beauty and Fantasy then for sure Maya belongs. Diggins nada.

 

[stwainfan]

I admit I don't follow golf or tennis. I do think Maya should be on the list. As for basketball I will say C. Miller, Parker, Taurasi, Holdsclaw, Maya should all be on the list.

 

[VAMike23]

Never saw anyone woman as athletic as Marion Jones. Unfortunately...

Watching Marion Jones surging past the field on the back half of a medley or 4x400 relay (can't recall which) in Sydney was truly one of my greatest "Wow" moments in track and field. (Moreover, she hadn't even run a 400 since her school days.) Simply other-worldly power and speed.

But as you said, "unfortunately....."

 

[easttexastrash]

The article is the last 20 years. Graf and Sharapova each have 7 GS titles in the last 20 years (though Graf is one of the two greatest players of all time).

Serena has 19 GS titles in that time frame. Not sure how she could remotely be ahead of Serena for the last 20 years.

Graf, although she was at the end of her career during this time frame, was still the best player to have played during the past 20 years. I am talking about their talent, not the number of titles won, and IMO, Graf is the most talented woman to have played in the past 20 years.

 

[easttexastrash]

Diggins makes the list and Maya doesn't? That's ridiculous.

Agreed. Somebody missed the boat when leaving out Maya. She has won at every level she has played.

 

[j66kicker]

Watching Marion Jones surging past the field on the back half of a medley or 4x400 relay (can't recall which) in Sydney was truly one of my greatest "Wow" moments in track and field. (Moreover, she hadn't even run a 400 since her school days.) Simply other-worldly power and speed.

But as you said, "unfortunately....."

Sports Illustrated foldout of MJ winning the 100m in Athens by 10 meters (before unfolding it you just see the tightly-bunched group to the left. Then, WHOA!) The miracles of modern medicine...

 

[j66kicker]

And the 200m finish in Sydney...

(Correction - previous image was also Sydney, not Athens)

 

[geneticrex]

Agree - assuming motorsports is a "sport" (and I do), how could Danica be listed and either Erica Enders-Stevens or Ashley (or Courtney)Force NOT be listed. All three women have actually competed at the highest level, WON races and Erica has WON a National Championship (plus, they're ALL easy on the eyes)! While I like Danica, she's a consistent back marker.

My man!!!

 

[alexrgct]

Graf, although she was at the end of her career during this time frame, was still the best player to have played during the past 20 years. I am talking about their talent, not the number of titles won, and IMO, Graf is the most talented woman to have played in the past 20 years.

To go 20 years back takes us to 1995, and in '95 and '96, Graf was amazingly dominant. She won the French and US Opens in both years and Wimbledon in both years as well. Unfortunately, that cutoff at 1995 ignores such accomplishments as the 1988 calendar year "Golden Slam" and winning three Slams in two other years: 1989 and 1993 (albeit after Monica Seles was stabbed in that latter year). Meanwhile, Steffi suffered through injuries throughout 1997 and 1998 before her last hurrah at Roland Garros in 1999.

But as far as talent goes, Steffi was as strong-willed and focused a woman as anyone- including even Serena- and she had the forehand and the footwork, along with a reliable serve, to do her damn thing in any tennis match. Finally, her relationship with Andre Agassi is one of the most compelling stories in the history of any sport. What if LeBron James and Sue Bird had babies? I don't know, but send 'em to UConn in 18 years!

 

[Phillyconn]

To go 20 years back takes us to 1995, and in '95 and '96, Graf was amazingly dominant. She won the French and US Opens in both years and Wimbledon in both years as well. Unfortunately, that cutoff at 1995 ignores such accomplishments as the 1988 calendar year "Golden Slam" and winning three Slams in two other years: 1989 and 1993 (albeit after Monica Seles was stabbed in that latter year). Meanwhile, Steffi suffered through injuries throughout 1997 and 1998 before her last hurrah at Roland Garros in 1999.

But as far as talent goes, Steffi was as strong-willed and focused a woman as anyone- including even Serena- and she had the forehand and the footwork, along with a reliable serve, to do her damn thing in any tennis match. Finally, her relationship with Andre Agassi is one of the most compelling stories in the history of any sport. What if LeBron James and Sue Bird had babies? I don't know, but send 'em to UConn in 18 years!

IMHO, Serena is the greatest women's tennis player ever! Just ask Chris Evert.

 

[Phillyconn]

Monica Seles was Graf's kryptonite.

 

[alexrgct]

IMHO, Serena is the greatest women's tennis player ever! Just ask Chris Evert.

Don't disagree- I just wanted to show Steffi some love, too.

 

[svetbird]

Huge omission...Simone Biles, gymnastics

Two- time World All-Around Champion (2013 and 2014), two-time World Floor Champion (2013 and 2014), the 2014 World Beam Champion, and a member of the gold-medal-winning US team at the 2014 Worlds. First African-American woman to be all-around champion at Worlds.

2013 and 2014 Worlds - Six gold medals, two silver medals, one bronze medal.

I am a diehard gymnastics fan, and Simone Biles’s time will come (not that I am in the least condoning this stupid list or her not being on it). Unfortunately Olympic glory seems to be the sole measure of success to many outside the sport. Simone has not got that yet (I think she will). Gabby Douglas is going to go down in history as one of the greats. jordyn wieber will be forgotten by everyone but us die hards, even though she was far more consistent and is (at least IMO the far better gymnast). Hopefully Biles will surpass them both. I have interacted with her a few times on facebook and she seems like a sweet and down to earth kid.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Steffi Graf played in the last 25 years, I believe. My gut feeling is that she was more dominant than Sherapova. Could be wrong.
Edit: 22 Grand Slam Wins to Sherapova's 5 (Steffi had 7 in the last 25 years)

Sherapova couldn't carry Steffi Graf's racket cover.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well that was a waste of quite a few minutes!
Not sure what we are dealing with in compiling this listed but popularity and looks seems to trump actual sporting accomplishment in the compilation - love this statement In 2009, Skylar Diggins was named Indiana’s Miss Basketball, likely the biggest award given to a female high school basketball star, You think maybe one of the NPOY awards for HS women's basketball might be a little bigger, or say the awards given out in the biggest hot bed states - like TX or California even? How many NCs at any level does she have? You could come up with a dozen more accomplished women's basketball players over the last 20 years. Not meaning to pick on Skylar per se, but with this kind of selection and writing ...

I had no idea how important that Indiana award it. Apparently it trumps 4 consensus 1st team AP All-American selections and 3 Wade Trophies.

Maya/Skylar

NPOY 3/0
WNBA MVP 1/0
NCAA championships 2/0
WNBA championships 2/0
Other pro league championships 5/0
FIBA golds 2/0
Olympic golds 1/0

That's 16 to 0.

How is this even close??

 

[Dawson]

Graf, although she was at the end of her career during this time frame, was still the best player to have played during the past 20 years. I am talking about their talent, not the number of titles won, and IMO, Graf is the most talented woman to have played in the past 20 years.

Ok I'm sorry but I was a tennis fan long before I was a UCONN fan. I was actually a huge Monica Seles fan and that comment just made my skin crawl. Monica was the far superior player to Steffi until the incident. With that being said, Graf could not touch Serena, and will be passed by Serena in grandslam wins in the next 2 years. The part that puts her well over Steffi is Serena didn't even need someone to stab her rival to get there!

 

[nd2tty]

Graf, although she was at the end of her career during this time frame, was still the best player to have played during the past 20 years. I am talking about their talent, not the number of titles won, and IMO, Graf is the most talented woman to have played in the past 20 years.

Hmm, talent is a very subjective thing. I would agree that Graf is the most talented to play in the last 30, although I wonder if her talent level 1995-1999 was not somewhat diminished from what it was 1985-1995.

If she hadn't been stabbed in 1993, we could very well be talking about Monica Seles as greatest ever. She was, for pure talent, the best I've ever seen. She probably could have gone on to win 20 majors, and in doing so, probably would have limited Graf to under 20. She had 8 GS titles before her 20th birthday. She was 3-1 in GS finals against Graf before the stabbing.

Graf is still the greatest, everything considered, of all-time, with Navratilova, Evert, and Serena Williams close second.

 

[wire chief]

Lots of tennis talk. My 2 cents: Monica showed that Steffi was mortal; nobody shows up Serena that way.
Finally, as a purely irrational Venus fan, I am glad that the 5-time Wimbledon champ was given her due herein.

 

[calpedaler]

Ok I'm sorry but I was a tennis fan long before I was a UCONN fan. I was actually a huge Monica Seles fan and that comment just made my skin crawl. Monica was the far superior player to Steffi until the incident. With that being said, Graf could not touch Serena, and will be passed by Serena in grandslam wins in the next 2 years. The part that puts her well over Steffi is Serena didn't even need someone to stab her rival to get there!

That comment made my skin crawl.

 

[Kaizen]

Maya should be in the top 20 list. I think she is the same greatest as DT.

 

[asuwish]

I would definitely have Maya on the list. She's decorated at the college and pro level, not to mention at the Olympic/FIBA Worlds level. I like and respect Maria Sharapova, but I wouldn't say she is to tennis what Maya has been to women's basketball.

I do like where Diana is on this list, however.

And I do like how many beautiful women make the cut; that's good watchin'!!!

I don't love the list top to bottom, but it is a good read. Nice overview of so many of the influential women in sports over the past couple of decades.

is this a list of best athletes (is there some definition they used) or who this person wants to date? Missing for being at the top of her sport is Lauren Jackson. Skyler Diggins greatest thing she has on her resume is her record against Uconn. Being Ms Indiana in high school is certainly not the highest honor in USA high school basketball. Swin Cash would be ahead of her on my list.