Empowered

In honor of International Women's Day, I will pay homage to some of the greatest female pioneers in athletics to date. Many of these women blazed a trail not just for recognition, but for respect for women in sports. Here are some of the greatest female athletes to date:

• Serena Williams: Perhaps the most dominant tennis player throughout the sport, Williams has reigned supreme in her department. She once held the No. 1 ranking in WTA for 186 consecutive weeks, tying Steffi Graf for the longest streak in her sport. Williams also has 39 Grand Slam titles to boot (23 in singles, 14 in doubles, and two in mixed doubles) is good for third on the all-time list and second in the Open era.
  
• Billie Jean King: Like WIlliams, King has 39 Grand Slam titles to her name (12 in singles, 16 in doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles). She's known for her "Battle of the Sexes" match with Bobby Riggs and has been a pioneer for equality and social justice.
  
• Lisa Leslie: A three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist, Leslie has been the face of women's basketball for a long time. She was the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game and was the first WNBA player to reach the 4,000-point milestone. She's the Los Angeles Sparks' all-time leader in scoring and rebounding (she's also the all-time league leader in rebounding).
  
• Mia Hamm: A two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion, Hamm led the charge for women's soccer in the United States during the 1990's-2000's. She ranks first in career assists (144) and second in international caps (276). She was named the FIFA World Player of the Year twice (2001 and 2002).
  

Photo courtesy of New York Times