25. Candace Parker (Basketball)

Hottest Female Athletes

Honestly, it was a toss up between Sue Bird and Candace Parker for the WNBA’s hottest star. Our intern, John the Intern, made his case and won us over when he said: “Bird is nice, but what’s sexier than a woman who can dunk?” Good point, John. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

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25. Candace Park... Honestly, it was a toss up between Sue Bird and Candace Parker for the WNBA’s hottest star. Our intern, John the Intern, made his case and won us over when he said: “Bird is nice, but what’s sexier than a woman who can dunk?” Good point, John. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
24. Tatiana Grig... The name Tatiana is more than enough to merit a spot on our list, but this former Olympic gold medalist for pole vault is a woman of many talents. After a strong showing on “Dancing with the Stars,” Grigorieva has taken her beauty and brawn to a higher bar as “Olympia” on the new “Gladiators” revival. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
23. Swin Cash (B... Nice call on Candace Parker, John. But Swin Cash (left) is a hard court bombshell. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
22. Gina Carano ... Carano may not be as physically stunning as Lokelani McMichael, Missy Gibson, Biba Golic, or Allison Stokke—all of whom did not make the list—but she’s a mixed martial artist. MMA is hard core, and any woman who can knock you off your feet and knock you off your feet is a keeper. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)
21. Sasha Cohen ... Sasha Spin. Sasha Spin. Sasha Spin. Try saying that five times fast without flubbing it. It’s OK, we’ll wait… (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
20. Kristi Leski... It was only a matter of time before a freestyle skier landed on our list. Leskinen (center) ranked No. 90 on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women of 2005 list. She is the first female freeskier to ever pull off a rodeo 720. (Getty Images/Chad Buchanan)
19. Daniela Hant... This 24-year-old Slovakian bombshell has graced the top of Tennis Magazine’s world’s sexiest tennis players list twice in her young career. On hotness alone, we give her a seven. But throw in her over $5.7 million in career earnings, and that seven becomes a solid eight. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
18. Natalie Coug... Not only is Coughlin that quintessential "girl next door" hot, she's a five-time (five!) Olympic medalist and she holds a BA in psychology from Berkeley. She's a triple-threat...and she can read our minds. (AP Photo/Paul Miller)
17. Gabrielle Re... One starlet from the old guard had to make our list. Gabrielle Reese is a cornerstone for mothers across the universe. She’s birthed two kids and still looks as phenomenal as she did killing balls on the beach. (AP Photo)
16. Tanith Belbi... A 2006 Olympic silver medalist, three-time Four Continents Champion, five-time U.S. National Champion, and one of the most adorable ice dancers on the planet…the choice was practically made for us. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
15. Gretchen Ble... If a sexy skier made our list, it only seemed fair to add an equally sexy snowboarder. It’s a matter of checks and balances, really. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
14. Serena Willi... When the sexier of the Williams sisters (no offense, Venus) isn't commanding the court, she's hard at work on her whimsical clothing line Aneres (her name spelled backwards). Lately she’s been linked to hip-hop heavyweight Common, which is hot, ‘cause his flow is nice. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
13. Amanda Beard... If she’s not clutching her six Olympic medals or posing provocatively for Playboy, Beard is defending fur creatures' right to roam the wild. Sexy, talented, and a guardian of nature—the ultimate trifecta. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
12. Natalie Gulb... Not only is Gulbis the LPGA’s most marketable golfer, she’s a model, a successful business woman, and an active philanthropist. Newsstands across the country could hardly keep her racy calendar on the shelves when it debuted in 2004. She was once linked to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. Way to be, Ben. Way to be. (KEYSTONE/Dominic Favre)
11. Laila Ali (B... She’s the daughter of one of the greatest boxers ever. Boxing is in her blood. She’s the reigning super middleweight champion, and she’s a fox. Need we say more? (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
10. Michelle Wie... In 2006, Time coined this one-time LPGA phenom "one of 100 people who shape our world." She missed a ton of cuts since then, but we still buy it. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
9. Heather Mitts... Voted Hottest Female Athlete by ESPN.com in 2004, Mitts is both a beauty and a formidable defender for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team. She’s dated everyone from A.J. Feeley to James Blake to Phillies slugger Pat Burrell. But the best part is: she’s currently single. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
8. Niki Gudex (P... What? Mountain Biking is a sport. Have you ever tried to walk down a mountain, let alone race a bike down one? Gudex is hot, and her sport is straight-up metal. (Publicity Photos)
7. Jennie Finch ... Talk about glitter and gold. Considered one of the greatest softball players of all time, this diamond bombshell pitched Team USA to a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately for us, she’s married (go figure) to Twins’ pitcher Casey Diagle. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
6. Danica Patric... Scoring her first win this past April at the Indy Japan 300, this Illinois native became the first female in history to win an IndyCar race. She’s been criticized for being a more marketable looker than driver. But in IndyCar’s case, any press is good press. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
5. Ashley Force ... The daughter of 14-time NHRA Funny Car division champion John Force, Ashley knows a thing or two about the need for speed. Not only is she a knockout behind the wheel, she holds a BA in communication. Brains and the ability to drive a stick? What more can a guy want? (Publicity Photos)
4. Stacy Keibler... For some, the name Keibler conjures images of little men toiling away at fudge cookies in a hollowed-out tree trunk. For us, the only thing that comes to mind are the millions of Internet photos of Stacy—though those fantastic elf-cookies are quite satisfying. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
3. Ana Ivanovic ... There must be something magical in Serbian water. Ivanovic has taken women’s tennis by storm. She is the world’s No.1, she’s a wiz at Sudoku—a logic-based number puzzle—and she's hotter than Hades. Athleticism, brains, and beauty, Ana is the creme de la creme. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
2. Maria Sharapo... Rich, famous, talented, and ridiculously hot, this one was a no-brainer. Quite frankly, if it weren’t for the Neanderthal-like grunts she exhales during her matches, Maria would have made our top spot. Though, we won't judge you if you're into that sort of thing. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)
1. Anna Kourniko... Can we stress enough how lucky Enrique Iglesias is? If all it takes is lousy singing to land the hottest female athlete on the planet (couldn't find a PG pic of Ana Paula Mancino, sorry), the lot of us need to start working on our falsetto. (AP Photo/Fritz Reiss)
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