Power Ranking the Hottest Couples in Sports

Male athletes often find themselves dating women whose Wikipedia entry reads "aspiring actress/model." Usually we let the men off the hook because the women are extremely hot, even if they're not extremely talented.

There is also a breed of athelte, however, which never settles for less than the best. They don't want a woman mooching off them and taking their hard-earned money, so they find womem who are just as successful, if not more so, than they are.

These are what we like to call "power couples"...and they are a class above every other athlete-WAG combo out there.

Due to the fickle nature of the public, the popularity of athletes and celebrities fluctuates from week to week. Let's take a look at who, as of this moment, are the hottest power couples in sports.

25. Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff

Child stars can generally go one of two ways. They either try to stay in the spotlight by appearing on whatever reality show they can and bouncing from celebrity relationship to celebrity relationship, or they go the route of Hilary Duff: stay out of the spotlight and live what's close to a normal life.

Helping her with that normal life is her husband, Pittsburgh Penguins center Mike Comrie, who married Duff in August 2010.

Comrie is seven years older than Duff, which makes it kind of strange that when Comrie was 21 years old, Duff looked like this. 

24. Marko Jaric and Adriana Lima

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Jaric used to play in the NBA, but that really has nothing to do with why he's famous. He's famous because when people type in "who is Adriana Lima dating?" his name pops up.

Jaric was a solid NBA player for a few years and now plays in Europe, but that's all thrown out the window when you find out that he's married to one of the hottest models in the world, Adriana Lima.

Lima keeps this couple afloat as one of the most powerful in the sports world.

23. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf

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Power couples rarely consist of two athletes, but when the athletes are each one of the all-time greats, it's hard to exclude them.

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf are two of the best and most recognizable tennis players in the history of the sport, so when the two of them are together they're nearly unstoppable.

22. Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood used her American Idol victory to become the best-selling artist in the history of the reality show.

Her debut album, Some Hearts, has gone Platinum seven times, and is the highest-selling debut country album of all time.

No wonder she was snatched up by hockey player husband Mike Fisher, who was traded this year from Ottawa to Nashville, where Underwood makes her home.

Like a local Nashville paper said, "Now if only Taylor Swift starts dating Sidney Crosby, we'll win the Stanley Cup!"

21. Sasha Vujacic and Maria Sharapova

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Sasha Vujacic was a two-time champion with the Lakers before being traded to the New Jersey Nets. Since arriving he's been more productive, but he'll never be an NBA All-Star.

The reason he's so well known is because he's dating tennis star Maria Sharapova, who was once the #1 women's tennis player in the world.

Though Sharapova hasn't won in a while, the combination of her and Vujacic create a sports power couple.

20. Chad Ochocinco and Evelyn Lozada

Chad Ochocinco is one of the most outspoken, media-savvy athletes around, so it was only a matter of time before he matched up with a woman who was just as attention-starved.

Chad announced his engagement to one of the stars of VH1's Basketball Wives, Evelyn Lozada. She's on the show because she is the ex-fiancee of former NBA player Antoine Walker.

Now the rumor is that Chad and Evelyn will be getting their own reality show, a build-up to their wedding.

Why am I not surprised?

19. Shaquille O'Neal and Hoopz

Shaq has one of the biggest personalities in sports and he's always in the spotlight, so it's not hard to believe that he would go for a girl accustomed to the cameras.

Shaq is dating former Flavor of Love winner Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander, who somehow decided that things weren't going to work out with Flavor Flav.

There were rumors that Shaq proposed in late 2010, but so far no engagement has been announced. In the mean time they're training rigorously for a chance to be the main attraction at the Boston Celtics halftime show.

18. Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert

Dion Phaneuf is the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and also the latest hockey player to catch the eye of 24 actress Elisha Cuthbert.

Although she's never been a huge movie star, Cuthbert consistently remains on lists of the world's hottest women, cementing she and Phaneuf's position as a sports power couple.

17. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union

Dwyane Wade is one of the best basketball players on the planet, and he set himself up to be in the NBA spotlight for years to come when he recruited LeBron James and Chris Bosh to come play for the Heat.

The woman by his side is Gabrielle Union, who is best known for her work as the head cheerleader of the East Compton Clovers in Bring It On.

This power couple would be higher up if Union had starred in something popular recently, but if the Heat make it to the Finals and/or win the title, they'll be at the top of the list for a long time.

16. Dario Franchitti and Ashley Judd

Ashely Judd has never been one to hide her passion for sports, so it makes sense that she would end up with an athlete. The lucky man is Dario Franchitti, who won his second Indianapolis 500 last May and is a three-time IndyCar series champion.

While Ashley hasn't made a successful film in a long time, Kentucky basketball games keep her in the spotlight enough for she and her successful husband to be considered a power couple. 

15. Amar'e Stoudemire and Ciara

For years Amar'e Stoudemire toiled away in Phoenix, putting up huge numbers on a championship-contending team.

He never got the credit, which instead went to Steve Nash, so when Stoudemire saw the opportunity to be the #1 guy on a huge stage he took it and signed with the Knicks.

He elevated his game and made New York basketball relevant again, so you know he had to start dating a woman worthy of his new status.

He did exactly that when he started dating R&B star Ciara, and the two have since been one of the hottest power couples in sports.

14. Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss

Talk about a power couple. Phil Jackson has eleven championship rings. Jeanie Buss runs one of the most successful sports franchises in the world.

The couple doesn't plan on marrying, but they seem to be happy with their situation. When Jeanie's yelling at him, I wonder if Phil calls a timeout or just lets her try to play through it?

13. Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari

Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari jumped a few positions on this list when they announced their engagment last week.

Cutler is known for quitting on his team in last year's NFC Championship game, so it's good for him to be getting headlines for something positive.

Cavallari was a star of MTV reality shows Laguna Beach and The Hills, and is trying to branch out into scripted television and movies.

Since Cutler plays in football-crazed Chicago, he and Kristin will always be in the headlines.

12. Hank Baskett and Kendra Wilkinson

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You know a sports power couple has arrived when you only have to mention them by first name. If you say "Hank and Kendra," everyone knows who you're talking about.

NFL receiver Baskett married the Playboy Playmate and former Girls Next Door reality star in June 2009, and they've been in the spotlight ever since.

Although Hank is a marginal receiver and currently is without a job, Kendra keeps taking gigs like Dancing With The Stars to make sure they remain a sports power couple.

11. Eric Johnson and Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson had a celebrated relationship with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and, believe me, if they were still together they'd be at the top of this list.

But just because Romo's gone doesn't mean that Jessica exits the list. She's engaged to NFL tight end Eric Johnson and, though he's not exactly a Pro Bowler, his NFL status and super-famous fiancee give him a spot on the power couples list.

10. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

This power couple was never hotter than when engagement rumors started to fly earlier this year.

And now that the news has officially broken (complete with a $2,000,000 engagement ring), they've skyrocketed into the spotlight once again. 

Despite being a relatively unknown player prior to the relationship, Kris Humphries was vaulted into stardom the second he was linked to the red-hot Kardashian.

Kim is obviously the more famous of the two, but when you pair the biggest reality star in the country with an NBA player...that definitely makes them a power couple.

9. Carmelo Anthony and LaLa Vasquez

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When Carmelo Anthony was traded to New York earlier this season, he and his wife LaLa Vasquez went from being just another basketball pair to a sports power couple.

Carmelo is one of the best offensive players in the history of the game and he paired himself with a successful woman. LaLa started her career as an MTV VJ and has since starred in a few movies (gems like You Got Served), and has hosted a few episodes of Flavor of Love.

The two have since become best friends with another power couple, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

8. Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker

Andy Roddick is the most recognizable face in American tennis, and now that he's married to swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, he's in no danger of dropping out of the spotlight any time soon.

If Roddick won a Grand Slam event the couple would surely catapult to the top of the list, but as of now they're sitting pretty (because of Decker) right in the middle.

7. Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian

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You need only turn on a television to see how powerful Lamar and Khloe have become. When the couple shocked the world by suddenly getting married in September 2009, people didn't give the relationship much hope for survival.

Nearly two years (and two NBA championships) later and the couple is going strong, showing now signs of slowing.

And they both smell nice.

6. Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias

He's one of the biggest pop stars in the world. She is one of the most famous women's tennis players in the world...but certainly not because of her tennis.

Kournikova doesn't play competitively anymore, but this power couple will never die. They can still be seen out and about and attract just as much attention as they did when Anna was still playing.

5. Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly

Although Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly don't step into the spotlight very often, when they do they are one of the hottest power couples in sports.

Jeter has dated every hot celebrity known to man and Kelly, a star of Friday Night Lights, was named The Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire in 2010.

I guess that qualified her as good enough for Jeter, as the previously untamable shortstop finally decided to settle down and got engaged to Kelly in January 2011. 

4. Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese soccer star who is known for jumping from model to model. While most of his girlfriends have been of the "aspiring model" nature, he definitely found the real deal in Shayk.

The Russian beauty was the cover girl for the 2011 SI Swimsuit Edition, which is basically the pinnacle of the swimsuit modeling world.

Cristiano Ronaldo is known for using models and them throwing them away like last week's newspaper, but he may have finally met his match with Shayk.

Just don't ask me what language they speak to each other.

3. Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz

A couple of years ago A-Rod would have made this list with another blonde actress, but this time around it's Cameron Diaz.

A-Rod has never been one to stay out of the spotlight, so it's no surprise that he's dating another high-profile actress.

Diaz has dated celebrities before, so it's no surprise that she'd go for one of the most popular baseball players around.

Let's just hope he has a good postseason this year, because it will be hard to top what Kate Hudson did for A-Rod and the Yankees in 2009.

2. David and Victoria Beckham

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You know you're important when you get an invite to the Royal Wedding. Victoria and David Beckham are one of the original power couples in sports, and they are just as popular today as they were when they first started dating.

David is, of course, a famous English soccer player who had a movie named after him. Victoria is now a fashion designer, but was once a member of the history-making girl group, the Spice Girls.

1. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen

Is there anything Tom Brady doesn't have? The Patriots quarterback officially had it all when he married lingerie model Gisele Bundchen in February 2009.

Since then they've become the top power couple in the country, being sure to draw flashbulbs and stalkers wherever they go.