Best Female Athlete: Who's No. 32?

BySUSIE ARTH
August 20, 2015, 8:52 AM

— -- In a couple of weeks in New York, Serena Williams will go for one of the greatest sporting accomplishments in our lifetime. There's no debating that.

But win (or not win) the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 -- and her 22nd major title -- at the US Open, and Williams will go down as one of the greatest tennis champions in the history of the game.

So what's left to debate? How about this: Is Serena Williams the greatest female athlete of all time? In any sport? On any planet? Ever?

Between now and the final in Flushing Meadows, you get to decide.

We've mixed a lot of research with a lot of debate and tapped into the brains of espnW experts like Julie Foudy and Mechelle Voepel to present you with a 32-contender bracket that includes greats from days gone by such as Wilma Rudolph, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Florence Griffith Joyner, as well as stars of today like Missy Franklin, Ronda Rousey and Maya Moore.

After all that, one thing is still missing: a 32nd contender. Chris Evert, Hayley Wickenheiser, Shannon Miller, Katarina Witt and Cheryl Miller are on the bubble. You decide who gets to dance. We had some fun -- because what else could comparing athletes from different eras (short shorts vs. long shorts) and different sports (frontside 1080 vs. 14-second armbar) be? -- and named eight seeds and drew the rest of the slots.

And, sorry Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor. We realize you're two different people but, like peanut butter and jelly, we simply could not pick one of you over the other. So you're carrying the volleyball mantle together.

Voting for Round 1 will open Thursday. For now, we're waiting on you to choose contender No. 32 to complete our bracket.