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Bleacher Report Top 50 Female athletes

Here is a list of the Top 50 Female athletes ever, compiled in 2011 by Kelsey Givens at the Bleacher Report. It’s quite a US-centric list, but interesting just the same.



Heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee tops the list, with another track and field athlete from many years before, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, next on the list. Another track and field athlete, Florence Griffith Joyner, was also in fourth position.

There are actually 51 athletes listed, as they miscounted after listing a tie for 10th place. The same athletes are consistently at the top of such lists, as you can read about in our discussion of the World's Greatest Female Athlete Ever.

rank athlete sport
1 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Track & Field
2 Babe Didrikson Zaharias Track & Field
3 Martina Navratilova Tennis
4 Florence Griffith Joyner Track & Field
5 Mia Hamm Soccer
6 Annika Sorenstam Golf
7 Bonnie Blair Speed Skating
8 Tracy Caulkins Swimming
9 Steffi Graf Tennis
=10 Billie Jean King Tennis
=10 Lisa Leslie Basketball
11 Joan Benoit Samuelson Distance Running
12 Chris Evert Tennis
13 Cheryl Miller Basketball
14 Sheryl Swoopes Basketball
15 Ann Meyers Basketball
16 Julie Krone Horse Racing
17 Serena Williams Tennis
18 Teresa Edwards Basketball
19 Dara Torres Swimming
20 Marta Vieira Da Silva Soccer
21 Candace Parker Basketball
22 Sonja Henie Figure Skating
23 Nancy Lieberman-Cline Basketball
24 Michelle Akers Soccer
25 Peggy Fleming Figure Skating
26 Diana Taurasi Basketball
27 Olga Korbut Gymnastics
28 Dorothy Hamill Figure Skating
29 Kristine Lilly Soccer
30 Yani Tseng Golf
31 Nadia Comaneci Gymnastics
32 Lisa Fernandez Softball
33 Mary Lou Retton Gymnastics
34 Cammi Granato Hockey
35 Katarina Witt Figure Skating
36 Nancy Lopez Golf
37 Picabo Street Skiing
38 Fabiola Da Silva Inline Skating
39 Wilma Rudolph Track & Field
40 Hayley Wickenheiser Ice Hockey
41 Margaret Court Tennis
42 Marion Jones Track & Field
43 Anne Donovan Basketball
44 Janet Evans Swimmer
45 Mary Decker Slaney Track & Field
46 Manon Rheaume Ice Hockey
47 Hannah Teter Snowboarding
48 Althea Gibson Tennis
49 Dawn Fraser Swimming
50 Mary T Meagher Swimming


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Lists Extra

Football/Soccer is clearly the world's most popular sport, and has the most popular athletes, but which sport has the fittest players (but not necessarily the greatest athlete). These players do not always earn the most. The best of the best have made it to our 7 Sporting Wonders Lists.

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