Who's the best this, or the most that, or the whiniest something else, in the world's top women's league?
Who's the best player in the WUSA? It depends on what you're looking for: Some are best at this, some at that, others at something else entirely.
The best? The most? We polled those who know – the WUSA's coaches, its talent brokers, others whose opinions we value – to find out.
Best Ballwinning Midfielder
Shannon Boxx — San Diego
The Spirit's holding midfielder is strong in the air, courageous in the tackle and possesses the technical skills to start attacks after the ball is won.If not Boxx: Marci Miller (Atlanta) or Tiffany Roberts (Carolina).
Best Attacking Wingback
Brandi Chastain — San Jose
She's a former forward who likely will be in the CyberRays' midfield this year, but Chastain remains our favorite attacking defender. It's all about mindset – she's always thinking offensively – and terrific passing skills.If not Chastain: Kylie Bivens (Atlanta).
Best Marker
Thori Bryan — San Jose
No one runs by the speedy CyberRays veteran, who's quick to cut off passing angles, is a tenacious tackler when required, and understands how the game is played. It's how she bested Milbrett in 2001.If not Bryan: Tiffany Roberts (Carolina) or Kate Sobrero (Boston).
Best Defensive Forward
Mia Hamm — Washington
The world's No. 1 goalscorer takes great pride in her defensive acuity. She's without peer at chasing defenders, and her speed causes foes breakdowns that can lead to easy goals.If not Hamm: Cindy Parlow (Atlanta).
Best Crosser
Shannon MacMillan — San Diego
One respondent likened the Spirit forward to David Beckham, able to strike a perfectly weighted cross to a specific spot for maximum danger.If not MacMillan: Michelle French (San Jose).
Best Passer
Sissi — San Jose
The CyberRays playmaker boasts tremendous vision, a flawless sense of space and time, and the sort of touch one expects from Brazilian wizards. She completes passes others can't fathom.If not Sissi: Hege Riise (Carolina).
Best Finisher
Tiffeny Milbrett — New York
The WUSA's top scorer is a sure thing, or close to it, when presented an open shot, and the variety of her finishes – she can beat keepers with sharp shots, lobs, or by dribbling past – leaves opponents few options.If not Milbrett: Kelly Smith (Philadelphia).
Best Shot-Stopping Kepper
Briana Scurry — Atlanta
She's extremely athletic and reads the game well, making superb saves often look ordinary. Her biggest stop – during PKs in the '99 WWC final – was golden.If not Scurry: Gao Hong (New York).
Keeper With The Best Feet
Siri Mullinix — Washington
The Americans' 2000 Olympics netminder is rivaled on this planet only by Norway's Bente Nordby, who played with Carolina and San Diego last season but has left the league.If not Mullinix: Jaime Pagliarulo (San Diego).
Most Technical Defender
Fan Yunjie — San Diego
The Chinese central defender is completely comfortable with the ball – all the Chinese are – no matter how little time or space she has with it.If not Fan: Brandi Chastain (San Jose) or Joy Fawcett (San Diego).
Dirtiest Player
Charmaine Hooper — Atlanta
The Canadian striker unquestionably is one of the best players in the WUSA. Foes also regard her as the nastiest. ''No one else comes close,'' one said. ''She's dangerous and reckless and shows no remorse.''If not Hooper: Fan Yunjie (San Diego) or Marci Miller (Atlanta).
Best Free-Kick Specialist
Sissi — San Jose
The CyberRays midfielder can bend a ball like nobody else, but she's only scored once in the WUSA, and it wasn't from a dead ball. Her finish against San Diego in Las Vegas might be evidence enough.If not Sissi: Shannon MacMillan (San Diego).
Best Off-The-Ball Runner
Dagny Mellgren — Boston
The Norwegian forward is so deceptive that she's loses her cover easily, and her knack for finding angles to run at provides teammates attacking options.If not Mellgren: Julie Foudy (San Diego) or Tiffeny Milbrett (New York).
Best First Touch
Sissi — San Jose
The variety of touches the Brazilian star possesses is only part of it. She can take any ball, from any angle or speed while under any sort of pressure, and her touch always has purpose.If not Sissi: Hege Riise (Carolina).
Best Tactical Understanding
Hege Riise — Carolina
Norway's captain owns the ultimate soccer brain. She knows what's happening everywhere on the field and is a master at orchestrating teammates into her side's scheme. Said one respondent: ''She sees the game so well and makes such great decisions.''If not Riise: Julie Foudy (San Diego).
Most Graceful Player
Sissi — San Jose
From the land of samba comes the queen of effortless grace, whose balletic movement, silky skills and simplicity of play is among the WUSA's greatest charms. ''She makes it all look so easy,'' one respondent said. ''She has a wonderful sense of her space and body and weight,'' said another.If not Sissi: Joy Fawcett (San Diego) or Sharolta Nonen (Atlanta).
Biggest Whiner
Brandi Chastain — San Jose The CyberRays' captain never heard a whistle she couldn't argue with. ''Brandi's Brandi,'' one foe said. ''She's just so dramatic and so competitive.''If not Chastain: Julie Foudy (San Diego) or Mia Hamm (Washington).
Best On-Field Leader
Julie Foudy — San Diego
Charisma, experience and communication skills that earned her the nickname ''Loudy'' nudges the Spirit's (and U.S. national team's) inspirational captain ahead here.If not Foudy: Brandi Chastain (San Jose) or Carla Overbeck (Carolina).
by Soccer America Senior Editor Scott French
thing else, in the world's top women's league?Who's the best player in the WUSA? It depends on what you're looking for: Some are best at this, some at that, others at something else entirely.
The best? The most? We polled those who know – the WUSA's coaches, its talent brokers, others whose opinions we value – to find out.
Best Ballwinning Midfielder
Shannon Boxx — San Diego
The Spirit's holding midfielder is strong in the air, courageous in the tackle and possesses the technical skills to start attacks after the ball is won.If not Boxx: Marci Miller (Atlanta) or Tiffany Roberts (Carolina).
Best Attacking Wingback
Brandi Chastain — San Jose
She's a former forward who likely will be in the CyberRays' midfield this year, but Chastain remains our favorite attacking defender. It's all about mindset – she's always thinking offensively – and terrific passing skills.If not Chastain: Kylie Bivens (Atlanta).
Best Marker
Thori Bryan — San Jose
No one runs by the speedy CyberRays veteran, who's quick to cut off passing angles, is a tenacious tackler when required, and understands how the game is played. It's how she bested Milbrett in 2001.If not Bryan: Tiffany Roberts (Carolina) or Kate Sobrero (Boston).
Best Defensive Forward
Mia Hamm — Washington
The world's No. 1 goalscorer takes great pride in her defensive acuity. She's without peer at chasing defenders, and her speed causes foes breakdowns that can lead to easy goals.If not Hamm: Cindy Parlow (Atlanta).
Best Crosser
Shannon MacMillan — San Diego
One respondent likened the Spirit forward to David Beckham, able to strike a perfectly weighted cross to a specific spot for maximum danger.If not MacMillan: Michelle French (San Jose).
Best Passer
Sissi — San Jose
The CyberRays playmaker boasts tremendous vision, a flawless sense of space and time, and the sort of touch one expects from Brazilian wizards. She completes passes others can't fathom.If not Sissi: Hege Riise (Carolina).
Best Finisher
Tiffeny Milbrett — New York
The WUSA's top scorer is a sure thing, or close to it, when presented an open shot, and the variety of her finishes – she can beat keepers with sharp shots, lobs, or by dribbling past – leaves opponents few options.If not Milbrett: Kelly Smith (Philadelphia).
Best Shot-Stopping Kepper
Briana Scurry — Atlanta
She's extremely athletic and reads the game well, making superb saves often look ordinary. Her biggest stop – during PKs in the '99 WWC final – was golden.If not Scurry: Gao Hong (New York).
Keeper With The Best Feet
Siri Mullinix — Washington
The Americans' 2000 Olympics netminder is rivaled on this planet only by Norway's Bente Nordby, who played with Carolina and San Diego last season but has left the league.If not Mullinix: Jaime Pagliarulo (San Diego).
Most Technical Defender
Fan Yunjie — San Diego
The Chinese central defender is completely comfortable with the ball – all the Chinese are – no matter how little time or space she has with it.If not Fan: Brandi Chastain (San Jose) or Joy Fawcett (San Diego).
Dirtiest Player
Charmaine Hooper — Atlanta
The Canadian striker unquestionably is one of the best players in the WUSA. Foes also regard her as the nastiest. ''No one else comes close,'' one said. ''She's dangerous and reckless and shows no remorse.''If not Hooper: Fan Yunjie (San Diego) or Marci Miller (Atlanta).
Best Free-Kick Specialist
Sissi — San Jose
The CyberRays midfielder can bend a ball like nobody else, but she's only scored once in the WUSA, and it wasn't from a dead ball. Her finish against San Diego in Las Vegas might be evidence enough.If not Sissi: Shannon MacMillan (San Diego).
Best Off-The-Ball Runner
Dagny Mellgren — Boston
The Norwegian forward is so deceptive that she's loses her cover easily, and her knack for finding angles to run at provides teammates attacking options.If not Mellgren: Julie Foudy (San Diego) or Tiffeny Milbrett (New York).
Best First Touch
Sissi — San Jose
The variety of touches the Brazilian star possesses is only part of it. She can take any ball, from any angle or speed while under any sort of pressure, and her touch always has purpose.If not Sissi: Hege Riise (Carolina).
Best Tactical Understanding
Hege Riise — Carolina
Norway's captain owns the ultimate soccer brain. She knows what's happening everywhere on the field and is a master at orchestrating teammates into her side's scheme. Said one respondent: ''She sees the game so well and makes such great decisions.''If not Riise: Julie Foudy (San Diego).
Most Graceful Player
Sissi — San Jose
From the land of samba comes the queen of effortless grace, whose balletic movement, silky skills and simplicity of play is among the WUSA's greatest charms. ''She makes it all look so easy,'' one respondent said. ''She has a wonderful sense of her space and body and weight,'' said another.If not Sissi: Joy Fawcett (San Diego) or Sharolta Nonen (Atlanta).
Biggest Whiner
Brandi Chastain — San Jose The CyberRays' captain never heard a whistle she couldn't argue with. ''Brandi's Brandi,'' one foe said. ''She's just so dramatic and so competitive.''If not Chastain: Julie Foudy (San Diego) or Mia Hamm (Washington).
Best On-Field Leader
Julie Foudy — San Diego
Charisma, experience and communication skills that earned her the nickname ''Loudy'' nudges the Spirit's (and U.S. national team's) inspirational captain ahead here.If not Foudy: Brandi Chastain (San Jose) or Carla Overbeck (Carolina).
by Soccer America Senior Editor Scott French