ESPN RISE

While Brittney Griner's high-flying act is changing women's basketball, she's just the latest in a long line of female athletes who transcend gender. In honor of Women's History Month, here are five more female game-changers who stood out above the rest.

The Top 5 Female Trailblazers Of All Time

1. Billie Jean King, Tennis
In addition to her prodigious talents (39 Grand Slam titles), King was a true trailblazer. Her win over former Wimbledon champ Bobby Riggs in the nationally-televised "Battle of the Sexes" transcended sports and was a victory for women everywhere.

2. Danica Patrick, Auto Racing
Patrick became the first female driver to win an IndyCar race when she took top honors at the 2008 Indy Japan 300. Patrick proved she belonged with the world's best, finishing sixth in the overall IndyCar point standings for 2008.

3. Manon Rheaume, Ice Hockey
Rheaume became the first woman to play in one of the four major professional sports leagues when she made an apperance with the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 1992 exhibition game. A goalie, Rheaume also helped Canada's women's team win World Championships in 1992 and 1994.

4. Mia Hamm, Soccer
Considered the greatest women's soccer player of all time, Hamm was instrumental in bringing the game to a mainstream audience. She won four NCAA titles while at North Carolina, two World Cups and two Olympic Gold Medals.

5. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track & Field
Joyner-Kersee inspired countless female athletes as one of the first stars to grow up in the era of Title IX, a law passed in 1972 that prohibits gender discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funds. Joyner-Kersee won six Olympic medals between 1984 and 1996, including three golds.