Beautiful black women in sports

Today's beautiful Black women in professional sports exude talent and spirit. The beauty and grace they display in their respective sporting arenas oftentimes is matched by their appearance out of the sports spotlight. JET features some of the stunning female athletes who can amaze you with their uppercuts, backhands, jump shots and speed, and dazzle you with their beauty as well.

LAILA ALI says she stays so beautiful because her boxing prowess keeps her from getting punched in the face. Laila, 24, daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and Veronica Anderson, has been working toward her goal of being a boxing champion since she received her "calling" at age 18. Since her pro debut in 1999, she has fought 10 fights and remains undefeated while knocking out eight opponents. Outside of the ring, she continues to knock out others with her beauty. Laila says she's always told that she should be a model instead of the profession she chose. Though she enjoys everything that encompasses boxing, Laila has made it clear she enjoys shopping, fashion and the little things that make a woman feel pretty.

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VENUS WILLIAMS' charm is as solid as the gold medal she captured at the Sydney Olympics. In 2000, Venus became the first Black woman to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Olympic medals in singles and doubles in the same year. The very next year, her amazing talent won her two more Grand Slam titles--Wimbledon 2001 and U.S. Open 2001--totaling four at just age 22. Venus is currently studying fashion at a Florida university. This is apparentfrom her attention-grabbing outfits she wears on the court that reflect her bright personality that she shares with everyone.

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MARION JONES was a woman on a mission at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Glowing throughout the historic competition, Marion became the first female track and field athlete to win five medals at a single Olympiad--gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m, and bronze in the long jump and 4x100 m. With a time of 22.35, she recently won her fifth-straight national 200-meter championship at the 2002 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At this same event, she won her fourth national title in the 100 meters in 11.01 seconds. However, this track phenom doesn't let her looks run away from her off the track, staying healthy and glamorous at age 25.

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SERENA WILLIAMS has recently achieved her goal of being the No. 1- ranked tennis player in the world. With much finesse, she has won the last two Grand Slam events including the most coveted, Wimbledon. Her perseverance toward her career goal doesn't stop with this accomplishment. Serena is an aspiring fashion designer and is taking classes at the Art Institute of Florida. Her flair for beauty and fashion is seen on and off of the tennis court. Serena, 20, often competes in eye-catching tennis dresses that she helps design.

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LISA LESLIE's beauty is evident through her modeling career, and her basketball talent is unmistakable as the 6-foot-5 center for the Los Angeles Sparks. She has become a powerhouse for the WNBA as a defending league champion and MVP. With an infectious smile and graceful strut, it's easy to see why Lisa's modeling and professional basketball career has been so successful. The 30-year-old Olympian is second in the WNBA with her 10.7 rebound average and 2.95 blocks average. When she's not performing duties for her double career, Lisa stays active as a spokesperson for the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.

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REGINA JACOBS sped past opponents and seized the women's 1,500 meters for the eighth time in nine years at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At 39, Regina has kept her longevity as a top middle-distance runner. She's been a dominant force in the 1,000, 1,500, 3,000, and the 5,000 meters. She says her secret to success and the reason for her enhanced beauty is staying fit both during the season and the off-season, training twice a day and abiding by a strict diet.

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SHERYL SWOOPES, one of the most popular players in the WNBA, came back this season with a vengeance. After taking off last season to give birth to her son, Jordan Eric, Sheryl is leading the league with a 17.8 points average. Sheryl, a member of the Houston Comets since 1997, was the top vote-getter in final fan balloting to choose the starters for the 2002 WNBA All-Star game. Her brilliant success at Texas Tech gave her momentum to be one of the best female basketball players. Her name is synonymous with hoops, and it's not because it rhymes with Swoopes! Sheryl, 31, was the first woman to have a Nike basketball shoe named in her honor, the Air Swoopes. Her modesty is truly a virtue of a beautiful Black sportswoman.

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CHANDA RUBIN won her fourth career singles title-and biggest of her career--two months ago at the Britannic Asset Management Int'l Championships in Eastbourne, England. Though Chanda, a Louisiana native, is recovering from last year's arthroscopic surgery on her left knee, her injury didn't let her back down and now she's ranked a spectacular No. 20 on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. Her big strokes and powerful two-handed backhand are a force to be reckoned with. Chanda, 26, has been a rising star since playing professional tennis in 1991 and stays involved with local communities, often conducting at least a dozen clinics a year to enthusiastically introduce tennis to minority females.