Many Americans proudly identify as fans of at least one sport, and as the sports industry continues to expand, the spotlight on women’s sports has grown significantly. While every female athlete is important, these women have distinguished themselves not only through their extraordinary athletic achievements but also through their impact beyond the game. Here are the Top ten female athletes of all time.
Athletes Ranked
Throughout generations, sports have evolved into a mecca of diversity and social activism, transforming athletes into international icons. Many athletes' journey starts at a young age and leads them to a career and fan base like no other.
These women have shown incredible skill for their sport and female athletes in general. Some have stepped out of their sport to use their platform to advocate for many different issues that they are passionate about.
1. Simone Biles
Simone Biles has dominated the gymnastics world since joining the U.S. National Team in 2012. She made her Olympic debut in 2016 at just 18 years old, capturing global attention with her unmatched talent.
Biles has 11 Olympic medals, four of which she earned recently at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She holds the record of most decked-out female gymnast, with 30 world championship medals. At just 27 years-old. Biles is a force to be reckoned with.
Off the mat, she focuses heavily on mental and physical health. At 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles chose to withdraw from competition to prioritize her mental health, sparking a global conversation about the pressures faced by elite athletes.
In 2024, Biles became the subject of a Netflix documentary titled "Simone Biles: Rising Beyond", which offers an intimate look at her journey through the highs and lows of her career. Through candid interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, the limited series highlights Biles’ resilience, strength, and the importance of mental health in the world of competitive sports.
2. Serena Williams
Serena Williams' dominance in tennis is unmatched. She has secured 23 Grand Slam singles titles, winning her first at just 17 years old. Her fierce rivalry with her sister, Venus Williams, elevated the popularity of women's tennis and created some of the sport's most memorable moments.
Outside of the court, Williams is a well-known businesswoman, fashion icon and an advocate for racial and gender equality. She also performed with Kendrick Lamar in the 2025 Super Bowl Half-time show, dancing to Lamar's Award Winning song "Not Like Us". The dance she performed, called the "Crip Walk", sparked mixed reactions, with some praising her cultural authenticity and others criticizing the dance's controversial origins. Despite the debate, her performance underscored her deep connection to hip-hop culture and her ability to make a statement beyond the tennis court.
3. Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky returned from the 2024 Paris Olympics with another impressive haul of gold, silver, and bronze medals, bringing her career total to 14 Olympic medals. She won six gold medals in individual events, which is the most by any woman in Olympic swimming history.
Ledecky has become so influential in the swimming world, that she now holds the status “GOAT,” or Greatest of All Time. Ledecky has inspired a new generation of young swimmers and remains one of the most decorated American Olympians of all time.
4. Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi has been a powerhouse in the WNBA for 20 years. . Selected as the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, she has spent her entire 20-season career with the team. Taurasi has won three championships, earned MVP honors in 2009 and she also holds the spot for all-time leading scorer with over 9,000 points.
Throughout her career, she continued to show up on the court for her team and pushed to earn that next championship. Not only did Taursai win three championships, but she was a five-time scoring champ and 10-time all-WNBA first team.
She showed commitment on the court like no other and set the stage for female ambition in sports.
5. Patty Berg
Patty Berg was the first President and founding member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950. Over her career, she has won 15 major championships and 57 total wins out of her 60 LPGA tour victories. Before the LPGA existed Berg helped establish the forerunner of the LPGA, winning three tournaments in 1948.
Berg was an incredible and tireless advocate for women's golf, and she conducted multiple clinics around the world to inspire women to take on the sport.
6. Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick is an American Bowler, who started her career with the Professional Women's Bowling Association and won rookie of the year award in 2001. Since beginning her career, Kulick has won ten professional women's bowling titles, six of those were major titles. In 2019, Kulick was inducted into the USBC hall of fame, under the Superior Performance category.
Kulick is the first woman to win a regular Professional Bowlers Association tour title, and is a 16-time member of Team USA. She continues her career as a coach and mentor for other bowlers.
7. Flo Hyman
Flo Hyman was a trailblazer in volleyball. She competed in the 1984 Olympics, captaining the U.S. team to a silver medal. Hyman also shined on the international stage, winning bronze at the 1978 and 1982 World Championships and being named Best Attacker in the World Cup in 1979 and 1983.
Hyman’s legacy extends beyond her athletic achievements. She was a fierce advocate for gender equality in sports and worked to improve training conditions for female athletes.
8. Jenni Finch
Jennie Finch is a softball player who played for the Arizona Wildcats, and US Women's National Softball team. While on the Arizona Wildcats, Finch won the 2001 women's college World Series and was named collegiate All-American.
After Finch's collegiate career ended in 2002, she was recruited into the US Women's National team. She went on to win gold with the U.S. team at the 2004 Olympics and silver at the 2008 Games.
Finch has been ranked in multiple categories for the Wildcats in the Pac-12 conference and the NCAA Division I. She was named the second greatest college softball player and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame.
9. Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm played for the U.S. National Team and the Washington Freedom. She is widely known for her remarkable career with the U.S. Women's National Team, where she won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women's World Cups. Hamm played a pivotal role in the 1996 Olympic Games, where women's soccer made its debut as an official Olympic sport, leading her team to a gold medal victory.
She earned the title of soccer icon, and became the face of the Women's United Soccer Association, which is the first women's professional soccer league. Hamm’s influence extends beyond the field. In 1999, she co-founded the Mia Hamm Foundation with her brother Garrett, who passed away from a rare genetic disease. The foundation's mission is to raise awareness for bone marrow transplants, as well as to support youth soccer programs and provide opportunities for girls in sports.
10. JuJu Watkins
JuJu Watkins is an up and coming collegiate basketball player who plays guard for University of South California. In just her first season at USC, she was named a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Watkins also received national freshman of the year and set the NCAA Division I freshman scoring record.
Before her college career, Watkins played for the U.S. at the youth international level, where she earned recognition as the Most Valuable Player and helped her team secure two gold medals at the FIBA Youth World Cups.
With her impressive skill set and leadership on the court, Watkins is poised for a promising future in both college and professional basketball.
