Sheryl Swoopes facts for kids
Swoopes at the 2014 World Basketball Festival
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| Born | March 25, 1971 Brownfield, Texas, U.S. |
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| High school | Brownfield (Brownfield, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 145 lb (66 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1997 / Allocated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Houston Comets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2009–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Big 12 Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1997–2007 | Houston Comets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Seattle Storm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Tulsa Shock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Mercer Island HS (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Loyola–Chicago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Texas Tech (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career WNBA statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 4,875 (15.0 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,596 (4.9 rpg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,037 (3.2 apg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. She made history as the first player to sign with the WNBA. Sheryl is a three-time WNBA MVP (Most Valuable Player). She was also named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time.
Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals. She is one of only eleven women's basketball players to achieve a rare "quadruple crown." This means she won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was honored by being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, she was also inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Sheryl Swoopes was born in Brownfield, Texas. Her mother, Louise Swoopes, raised her. Sheryl grew up playing basketball with her three older brothers.
She started playing in a local children's league called Little Dribblers at age seven. She continued to play basketball at Brownfield High School.
College Basketball Career
Swoopes first went to the University of Texas. However, she left soon after arriving without playing any games. She then enrolled at South Plains College.
After playing at South Plains for two years, Swoopes moved to Texas Tech. This university was close to her hometown.
Winning the NCAA Championship
In 1993, during her senior year, Swoopes led the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to victory. They won the NCAA women's basketball championship. The next year, Texas Tech retired her jersey number. This was a huge honor, as she was only the third Lady Raider to receive it.
Swoopes set many records at Texas Tech. She scored 53 points in one game in 1993, which was a top record. In the 1993 season, she scored 955 points, ranking fourth all-time. She also had the best scoring average in the 1993 championship tournament. Her 47 points against Ohio State in the 1993 championship game broke a record. She also set a record for most field goals in a championship game with 16.
Her 24.9 points-per-game average is the best in Texas Tech history. She also achieved three triple-doubles and 23 double-doubles. Fourteen of these double-doubles happened in her senior year.
In 1993, Swoopes received many awards. She won the Naismith College Player of the Year award. She also won the Honda Sports Award and was named WBCA Player of the Year. She was chosen for the Division I All-American team in both 1992 and 1993. The Women's Sports Foundation named her the 1993 Sportswoman of the Year for team sports.
USA Basketball Team
Swoopes joined the USA national team in 1994. They competed in the World Championships in Sydney, Australia. The team won their first six games. They then faced Brazil in a close game, losing 110–107. The USA team won the bronze medal by beating Australia 100–95. Swoopes averaged 9.1 points per game and had seven steals.
Swoopes was also chosen for the US team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The USA team won all their games by large scores. They even came back from being behind against Cuba to win.
In 2002, Swoopes was part of the national team for the World Championships in China. She scored 16.9 points per game, the second highest on the team. She also led the team with 24 steals. The USA team won all nine games, including a close final against Russia.
Swoopes also played for the US at the 2006 World Championships in Brazil. The team won eight of nine games. However, they lost in the semifinal to Russia. The USA team won the bronze medal by beating Brazil. Swoopes, who was dealing with injuries, averaged 3.0 points per game.
WNBA Career Highlights
Sheryl Swoopes was one of the first players chosen for the Houston Comets in the WNBA's first season in 1997. She joined the team a bit later in the season. This was because she had just given birth to her son. Her first game was on August 7, 1997.
During her 11 years with the Houston Comets, she achieved amazing stats. She scored over 2,000 points, grabbed over 500 rebounds, made over 300 assists, and had over 200 steals. Her incredible scoring and defense made her the first player to win the WNBA MVP award three times (in 2000, 2002, and 2005). She was also the first to win the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year three times (in 2000, 2002, and 2003).
Swoopes helped the Comets win the first four WNBA championships. They won from 1997 to 2000, making her a four-time WNBA champion.
She is the second player in WNBA history to win both the regular season MVP and the All-Star Game MVP in the same year. The first was Lisa Leslie. Swoopes is also the first WNBA player to get a triple-double in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Swoopes became very well known after winning a gold medal with the USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Olympic Games. This helped make the new WNBA popular. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, winning in 1996, 2000, and 2004.
She was also the first woman basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her. It was called the "Air Swoopes."
On March 3, 2008, Swoopes signed with the Seattle Storm. This ended her long career with the Houston Comets. She was released by the Storm in February 2009.
In 2011, after her 40th birthday, Swoopes decided to return to the WNBA. She signed with the Tulsa Shock. At the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game, she was recognized as one of the top 15 players in the WNBA's 15-year history.
On August 26, 2011, Swoopes, at 40 years old, made a game-winning shot. It helped the Shock beat the Los Angeles Sparks 77–75. This ended the Shock's WNBA-record 20-game losing streak.
After the 2011 season, Swoopes became a free agent. The Tulsa Shock decided not to offer her a new contract. She later identified herself as a "former professional basketball player."
Her last WNBA game was on September 11, 2011. In 2016, she was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20. This was part of the league's 20th-anniversary celebration.
International Teams
Sheryl Swoopes also played basketball for teams in other countries:
- 1993–1994:
Basket Bari (Italy) - 2004–2005:
VBM-SGAU Samara (Russia) - 2005–2006: Taranto Cras Basket (Italy)
- 2010:
Esperides Kallitheas (Greece)
After Playing Basketball
After her playing career, Sheryl Swoopes became an assistant basketball coach. From 2009 to 2010, she coached at Mercer Island High School in Washington. She also worked as a color analyst for Texas Tech women's basketball games.
In 2013, Swoopes became the head coach for the Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team. In 2016, Loyola announced that Swoopes would no longer be coaching the team.
In July 2017, Swoopes returned to her old college, Texas Tech. She was hired as the Director of Player Development for the women's basketball program. She also continued to do broadcast analysis for Lady Raiders games. In 2018, she was promoted to assistant coach.
Personal Life
Sheryl Swoopes was married to her high school sweetheart from 1995 to 1999. They have one son named Jordan Eric Jackson, who was born in 1997. Later, in 2011, Swoopes got engaged to Chris Unclesho, a longtime friend. They were married on July 21, 2017.
Awards and Honors
Swoopes has received many awards and honors throughout her career. In 1993, she won the female Associated Press Athlete of the Year award. That same year, she also won the Honda Sports Award for basketball. She also received the WBCA Player of the Year award.
Sports Illustrated magazine named her one of the 20 female athletes of the decade for 2000 to 2010. She was also recognized as an LGBT History Month Icon by the Equality Forum.
Images for kids
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Swoopes playing for the Seattle Storm in 2008
