Nobody forgets that one special summer fling. For American sports fans, it came four years ago when they fell head over heels for a band of fresh-faced young women who, in a few weeks, transformed themselves from soccer unknowns into one-name stars: Mia, Brandi, Briana, Tiffeny. When the '99 World Cup ended, with 90,000 folks on their feet in the Rose Bowl and 40 million more glued to their TVs―after, in rapid succession, the save, the shot and, of course, the sports bra―there was a sense that not only had a trophy been won, but a nation had absorbed bigger lessons. "The whole thing took on a life of its own," says Brandi Chastain (whose celebratory shirt removal after her winning goal became the Cup's iconic moment). "It became all about strong women and mothers and daughters. There've been so few opportunities for women to celebrate like that. I think it was a refreshing moment for everybody."
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