Only months after joining the ranks of Ted Leonsis and Abe Pollin as a major league owner, Sheila Johnson is already making her presence felt.

Johnson found herself second only to Maria Sharapova, the 18-year-old, 6-foot-2-inch, blond tennis prodigy from Russia, in a recently released ranking of the 10 most powerful women in sports.

Dan Weil, a 23-year veteran of the sports beat and the ranking's author, admits that while, "there was no formula," to the ranking, including Johnson was, "really a no-brainer."

Bob Dorfman, Executive Creative Director at Pickett Advertising in San Francisco, was quoted by Weil as saying, "in some sense Johnson is more powerful than the athletes on this list."

In addition to Sharapova, those athletes include Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie of the LPGA, the Williams sisters of the WTA, and Danica Patrick, this past year's Indy Racing League rookie of the year whose fourth-place finish at the Indy 500 provided the biggest media swell the IRL has seen in years.

While Johnson was not the only female exec to make the list, she was the only one to crack the top 6. Other execs included Donna Orender, Commissioner of the WNBA, Amy Trask, CEO of the Oakland Raiders, Lesa France Kennedy, President of International Speedway Corp., and Donna Lopiano, Executive Director of the Women's Sports Foundation.

Unlike those others, however, Johnson is the only member of this particular sports sorority with an active roll in three professional sports teams. With her first full WNBA season behind her, and a team that some thought would have advanced further last season, it's a safe bet that Johnson will be even more involved this season.

"It's time to roll up my sleeves and get into it a little bit," says Johnson. "I want to help the team perform better on the court, and off it. We need to strengthen our bench. We need to do a better job of marketing the team. And we need to figure out how to make the team profitable."

As for the ranking, "it was a very nice Christmas present," Johnson said. "I was very pleasantly surprised and very grateful. I take very seriously my obligation to carry on not only in the tradition of the other women on this list, but also in the tradition of all those who paved the road we have been fortunate enough to travel."

Cracking the top 10 of most powerful women in sports and being listed alongside names such as Venus and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova has already established Johnson as a heavyweight in the world of women's sports. To what degree this standing will grow, though, depends entirely on Johnson. With her ownership in three professional sports teams, with her seat on the court, and off it, we can rest assured that her legacy in sports will be significant and that her future as a powerbroker in sports will continue to grow. Johnson will be worth keeping an eye on.