The famous bra shot.
In the heat of the moment, after kicking the goal that would win the United States the Women's World Cup in 1999, Brandi Chastain pulled off her shirt, exposing her black sports bra.
The picture appeared in newspapers around the country as the debate began on whether the photo itself was pornographic.
It wouldn't be her last famous shot, as she would later have a photograph taken for Gear, where she appeared virtually nude.
Women's sports, in general, have seen an increased fan base since the institution of Title IX, but over the last few years the type of athlete has changed and women are becoming more and more willing to push the envelope.
As a result, athletes are trying to get name recognition, often off the court and often by sex appeal.
Tennis seems to have garnered the most attention, as no one would have expected to see the tight, short skirts worn by Anna Kournikova and the Williams sisters years ago.
\It isn't just about sex appeal,"" women's soccer Head Coach Dean Duerst said, ""but about portraying the female figure as healthy and appealing.""
""The media is looking for the female, glamorous look,"" Duerst said. ""Long, slender females that are attractive are going to be pulled out by the media. They are female personalities that are fit. Young girls look up to that as healthy.""
Kevin Kluender, marketing specialist for Camp Randall, said that it isn't just about sex, but actually the potential to appeal to families, that is often causing the increase in marketing in women's sports.
""Frankly, women's sports are less expensive and appeal to families because it's less expensive,""Kluender said. ""In particular, we've seen the WNBA went to showing their athletes in more street clothes to show these women are real people to have the fans connect and make them feel comfortable.""
The issue of women and sex appeal has caught the media attention as more female athletes choose to pose nude. From Chastain in Gear to Gabrielle Reese in Playboy, there seems to be a change in the way women are choosing to market themselves compared to men.
""It's hard because women need everything they can to get people to want to watch the game,"" Kelly Conway, senior goalkeeper for the women's soccer team, said.
""It's definitely an aspect that draws more of an audience. It doesn't really affect the game, but for fan base it's important."" Conway said.
Conway also said standards are different when it comes to how male athletes are portrayed.
""There's football players [that are marketed for sex appeal], but I think it's more accepted for a male to not be sexually appealing and still be admired, unlike a woman,"" Conway said.
Kournikova in particular has caught a lot of heat for what many feel to be a decline in talent and an increase in exposure. Despite a losing record, Kournikova is still one of the most talked about female athletes due mostly to the numerous magazine covers and her music video with singer Enrique Inglesias.
""Each athlete has to make the decision [as to how they are portrayed],"" Kluender said. ""It's an individual choice in how they want to be portrayed. For Kournikova, a lot of what she's doing isn't about tennis, it is a business decision.""
Conway said she doesn't see posing nude as particularly harmful to women's sports as a whole.
""If that's going to reflect on the whole sport, I don't think people should make that kind of judgement,"" she said.
In the end, is the decision to promote women as sex objects a good idea? Really, how many people remember the score of the last match Kournikova was in compared to what she was wearing in the last music video?
