Mia Hamm gets the international awards and Brandi Chastain receives much of the media recognition. Both dominate the endorsements.
Neither, however, is the best female soccer player in the United States. That distinction belongs to Tiffeny Milbrett, the 29-year-old dynamo of the New York Power and the reigning WUSA and U.S. Soccer player of the year.
Milbrett has been a fixture at forward for the U.S. women's team since the 1995 World Cup, where she scored three times. A standout when the Americans won the 1996 Olympics and the '99 World Cup, she still was overshadowed by the aura of the brilliant Hamm and the drama of Chastain's Cup-winning penalty kick.
Not one to shrug off a slight, be it real or imagined, Milbrett set about becoming a dominating performer in the inaugural season of the women's league. She succeeded magnificently, scoring 16 goals with very little help from her teammates; Milbrett scored 53 percent of her team's goals and was one of only three WUSA players with a hat trick in 2001.
Her efforts led the Power into the playoffs, and she expects to be just as productive as the WUSA's second season begins this weekend.
"I think we had a pretty bumpy ride," she says. "But, we did well making the semifinals last year. What we really want to do this year is focus on getting things right.
"Along with the Power, most teams in the WUSA had to really try to get on the same page as quickly as possible during the first year, with a lot of new players, new faces, different talent levels and different backgrounds. So I think what we want to do is grow and take the next step and make sure that we're playing solidly on the field. By doing those things, the winning will come."
Milbrett has become accustomed to success, whether in college, on the national team or as a professional. She set an NCAA record (since surpassed) with 103 goals in 74 games at Portland. She played in a pro league in Japan long before most of her national teammates made their initial ventures to that level. She scored the goal that brought gold in Atlanta, and her spirited attacking style was emblematic of the U.S. team in the '99 World Cup.
Still, she was somewhat ignored as Hamm, Chastain, Briana Scurry, Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly drew most of the acclaim.
"That was a little difficult," Milbrett said, "but it also can drive you to be more focused, and it's something you understand you can't control."
Something she can control is a soccer ball, especially in range of the opponent's net. Milbrett has an incredible burst to open space, similar to Marshall Faulk, and she has a quick release on her shot reminiscent of hockey's Brett Hull.
"Tiffeny is one of the great finishers in the world," said Tony DiCicco, coach of the World Cup champions and now commissioner of the WUSA. "She deserves to be mentioned with all of the stars of the game."
Milbrett believes the WUSA will showcase the group of younger players streaming into the league.