Who are the best girl water polo players in the sport?

Water polo is an exciting, energetic, and fast-paced sport played on water. It involves two teams of seven players, each attempting to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The sport has produced exceptional players who have won multiple accolades. We reveal some of the best girl water polo players and their achievements.

Is water polo for girls? Both boys and girls play it in high schools and at the collegiate level in multiple countries. To excel in the sport, water polo players must have the speed of swimming, strength of wrestling, and strategy of soccer and basketball.

Girl water polo players

The best women's water polo players have proved their talents and abilities by winning multiple championships. In a poll conducted by Total Waterpolo in 2020, the United States produced most of the best female water polo players, led by the legendary Maggie Steffens. Here is a list of the athletes in ascending order and their countries.

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10. Melissa Seidemann

• Date of birth: 26 June 1990
• Age: 33 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
• Position: Centre/defender
• Achievements: Olympics (3 golds), World Champions (3 golds), Pan American Games (2 golds)

Melissa played water polo at College Park High School and Stanford University. She helped Stanford to win the 2011 NCAA women's water polo title. The American also played professional water polo for Club Natació Sabadell in Spain (2013-14), per Team USA.

9. Daniëlle de Bruijn

• Date of birth: 13 February 1978
• Age: 46 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Vlaardingen, Netherlands
• Position: Forward
• Achievements: Olympics (1 gold), World Champions (1 silver), European Championships (silver and bronze)

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Bruijn is a talented water polo woman known for her skill set and winning spirit. She won the 2008 Olympic team gold medal in Beijing and silver in the 1998 Perth World Championship.

The Dutch queen dominated European Championships in the 90s, winning silver in the 1999 competition in Prato and bronze in the 1997 tournament in Sevilla. She reportedly retired from international career in 2008.

8. Iefke van Belkum

• Date of birth: 22 July 1986
• Age: 37 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Leiden, Netherlands
• Position: Forward
• Achievements: Olympics (1 gold), European Championships (1 bronze)

Iefke graduated from Bonaventura College in Leiden, Netherlands, in 2004. Her Hawaii Athletics profile reveals that she has played for the Dutch Junior team since 2001, participating in three European Youth and two World Youth Championships.

The Dutch star played for Hawai'i Women's Water Polo and featured in the 2006 NCAA Championship All-Tournament first team. She was also the first Hawai'i player ever selected as the MPSF Player of the Year. She retired in 2020 to start coaching.

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7. Anni Espar

• Date of birth: 8 January 1993
• Age: 31 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain
• Position: Right driver
• Achievements: Olympics (2 silvers), World Championships (1 gold, 3 silvers, 1 bronze), European Championships (3 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze), Catalan Cups (4), Spanish Cups (3)

Anni is a three-time Olympic silver medalist and 2013 NCCA Champion with the University of Southern California Trojans. She played for C.E. Mediterrani and C.N. Sabadell, winning two national league championships. Anni also bagged the silver medal at the 2012 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

The Spaniard won the 2012 European Women's Water Polo Player of the Year. She helped Spain win gold at the 2013 FINA World Championships and silver at the 2019 FINA World Championships.

6. Alexandra Asimaki

• Date of birth: 28 June 1988
• Age: 35 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Athens, Greece
• Position: Centre forward
• Achievements: World Championships (1 gold), European Championships (3 silvers, 1 bronze), FINA World League (1 gold, 2 bronze), LEN Europa Cup (1 gold), Mediterranean Games ( 1 bronze)

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Alexandra Asimaki retired in 2020, leaving a legacy as one of the best and famous female water polo players in the world in the 21st century. She played for Vouliagmeni, Spanish club Alcoron, and Olympiacos Piraeus.

Asimaki won the gold medal at the 2011 World Championships, three silver medals at the European Championships, and gold in the 2018 LEN Europa Cup. She was also named the 2011 World Female Water Polo Player of the Year by FINA and the Best European Player by LEN.

5. Ashleigh Johnson

• Date of birth: 12 September 1994
• Age: 29 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Achievements: Olympics (2 golds), World Championships (4 golds), Pan American Games (2 golds), FINA World Cup (1 gold), Water Polo World League Super Final Women (5), World Women's Junior Water Polo Championships ( 1 gold)

Ashleigh ranks among the best water polo goalkeepers in the world. According to her USA Water Polo profile, she finished as the all-time career saves leader at Princeton University. Ashleigh also guided Team USA to the 2020 & 2016 Olympics gold medal.

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The goalkeeper graduated from Ransom Everglades High School in 2012. She later graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

4. Ekaterina Prokofyeva

• Date of birth: 13 March 1991
• Age: 33 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Rostov Oblast, Russia
• Position: Centre forward
• Achievements: Olympics (1 bronze), World Championships (3 bronze), European Championships (2 golds, 1 silver), FINA World Cup (1 silver), FINA World League (1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze)

The Russian water polo athlete is known for her fearless, strong, intelligent mentality and great technical ability. Ekaterina is a world-class player who bagged the 2018 Total Player Award and has played for the Russian club Kinef-Surgutneftegaz Kirishi for over 11 years. Despite receiving multiple offers, she has never played in Europe.

3. Brenda Villa

• Date of birth: 18 April 1980
• Age: 44 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
• Position: Forward
• Achievements: Olympics (1 gold, 2 silvers, 1 bronze), World Championships (3 golds, 1 silver), Pan African Games (3 golds), FINA World Cup (1 gold), FINA World League (7 golds, 1 silver)

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According to Swimming World Magazine, Brenda is among the most successful female water polo athletes. She played for Stanford and led the team to its first women's NCAA title in 2002. She also bagged two Player of the Year awards.

The former athlete won the 2012 London gold medal with Team USA and three World Championships in Barcelona, Melbourne, and Rome. She reportedly retired after the London 2012 Games.

2. Tania Di Mario

• Date of birth: 4 May 1979
• Age: 45 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: Rome, Italy
• Position: Forward
• Achievements: Olympics (1 gold, 1 silver), World Championships (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), European Championships (3 golds, 2 silver, 1 bronze), World Cup (1 silver, 1 bronze), World League (1 silver, 1 bronze)

The legendary Italian water polo star played at the four Olympic Games. Di Mario won gold at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, scoring 14 goals and finishing as the tournament's top scorer. According to Twinkl, she scored 47 goals in the Olympics, becoming one of the all-time scorers in the competition.

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1. Maggie Steffens

• Date of birth: 4 June 1993
• Age: 30 (as of June 2024)
• Birthplace: San Ramon, California, United States
• Position: Attacker
• Achievements: Olympics (3 golds), World Championships (5 golds), Pan American Games (3 golds), World Cup (4 golds), World League (10 golds, 1 bronze)

Hailed as the GOAT of the sport, Maggie is arguably the best female water polo player in the world. She followed in her father's footsteps, who was an Olympic gold medalist with Puerto Rico. Steffens is the current captain of the USA national women's water polo team.

Trivia

Female water polo players have dominated their fields and proved their talents, defying the stereotype that only men can play the sport. Here are some facts about the sport.

How much does a top water polo player get paid?

According to ZipRecruiter, a professional water polo player in the United States earns around $47,210 or $3,934 monthly. The amount depends on the league or team they play for.

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How many water polo players are there in the world?

The 2019 FINA report revealed that 478,791 people worldwide are registered as water polo players. However, there are more who are not registered.

Who are the best girl water polo players of all time?

Maggie Steffens, Tania Di Mario, and Brenda Villa are among the best female water polo athletes ever. The ladies have won multiple awards and helped transform the sport.

Final word

Some of the best girl water polo players' success has inspired and encouraged many young ladies to chase their dreams. Many countries also embrace the sport and encourage ladies to play and compete internationally.

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