TIFFENY MILBRETT , 26 [Forward]

In grade school, Tiffeny Milbrett knew she was fast—even if lots of slow, fat guys were chosen ahead of her for touch football games. She was faster than her classmate John G.,* who by Milbrett's account was "superfast." Milbrett likes to tell of the day in sixth grade when she was racing in for a touchdown and John G. stuck out his arm and missed her as she crossed the goal line. John G., however, yelled that he had touched her, so the TD didn't count. (Her team scored on the next play anyhow.) Later she overheard John G. admit to a friend that he had missed her. "I kicked his butt!" Milbrett says. "Even though it was delayed gratification, I loved that I kicked his butt."

Today, she is still blowing past everybody. "People tell me my first three steps look like an explosion," says the native of Portland, Ore. The combination of that speed with her ultracompetitive nature ("Tiffeny's desire to go to the goal truly sets her apart from other players," says assistant coach Lauren Gregg) and self-confidence (the 5'2" dynamo aspires to be a point guard in the WNBA when her soccer days are over) makes Milbrett virtually unstoppable. But then, John G. could have told you that a long time ago.