Sheryl Swoopes facts for kids
Sheryl Swoopes at Essence Festival of Culture July 2025.
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 a famous American former professional basketball player. She made history as the first player ever signed to 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 in 2011.
Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals. She is one of only eleven women's basketball players to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, she joined 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 played basketball with her three older brothers. She started playing in a local children's league called Little Dribblers at age seven. She also played basketball for Brownfield High School.
College Basketball Career
Swoopes first went to the University of Texas. She left soon after arriving and enrolled at South Plains College. After two years there, Swoopes moved to Texas Tech.
Winning the NCAA Championship
In 1993, Swoopes led the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to win the NCAA women's basketball championship. This was during her senior year. The next year, Texas Tech retired her jersey number. She is one of only three Lady Raiders to receive this honor.
Swoopes set many records at Texas Tech. She scored 53 points in one game in 1993. She also scored 955 points in the 1993 season. This was the most points ever in a single season for the school. Her average of 24.9 points per game is the best in Texas Tech history.
College Awards and Recognition
In 1993, Swoopes won the Naismith College Player of the Year award. She also received the Honda Sports Award for basketball. The WBCA named her 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 Sportswoman of the Year in 1993.
Playing for Team USA
Swoopes played for the USA national team in many international competitions.
World Championships
She competed in the 1994 World Championships in Australia. The USA team won a bronze medal. Swoopes averaged 9.1 points per game. She also had the second-highest number of steals on the team.
In 2002, Swoopes was part of the national team that played in 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 in the 2006 World Championships in Brazil. The team won eight of nine games. They earned a bronze medal after losing to Russia in the semifinals.
Olympic Games
Swoopes was a member of the USA team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The USA team won all their games by large scores. They went on to win the gold medal.
She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She won gold in 1996, 2000, and 2004.
WNBA Career Highlights
The Houston Comets drafted Swoopes for the first WNBA season in 1997. She joined the team later in the season. This was because her son was born. Her first game was on August 7, 1997.
Houston Comets Success
Swoopes played for the Houston Comets for 11 years. She scored over 2,000 points and had over 500 rebounds. She also had more than 300 assists and 200 steals. Her amazing scoring and defense made her the first three-time WNBA MVP. She won this award in 2000, 2002, and 2005. She was also the first three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She won that award in 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Swoopes helped the Comets win the first four WNBA championships. They won from 1997 to 2000. 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. She is also the first WNBA player to get a triple-double in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Nike, Inc. even named a shoe after her: the "Air Swoopes."
Later WNBA Teams
On March 3, 2008, Swoopes signed with the Seattle Storm. This ended her long career with the Houston Comets. The Storm released her on February 3, 2009.
In 2011, Swoopes returned to the WNBA. She signed with the Tulsa Shock. At the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game, she was named one of the top 15 players in WNBA 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 record 20-game losing streak.
Her last WNBA game was on September 11, 2011. After the 2011 season, the Tulsa Shock decided not to offer her a new contract. In 2016, she was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20. This celebrated the league's 20th anniversary.
Coaching and Other Roles
After her playing career, Sheryl Swoopes took on new roles.
In 2010, she was an assistant basketball coach 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. She coached there until 2016.
In July 2017, Swoopes went back to her old college, Texas Tech. She became the women's basketball Director of Player Development. She also continued to do color analysis for Lady Raiders games. In October 2024, Swoopes and journalist Jordan Robinson started a weekly podcast called Queens of the Court.
Personal Life
Sheryl Swoopes was married to Eric Jackson from 1995 to 1999. They have a son named Jordan Eric Jackson, born in 1997. Jordan was named after basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jordan Jackson is also a basketball player. In 2024, he won the G League's dunk contest. He wore the same number 22 as his mother.
Sheryl Swoopes got engaged to Chris Unclesho, a longtime friend. They married on July 21, 2017. In July 2025, Swoopes became an honorary member of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.
Awards and Honors
Swoopes won the female Associated Press Athlete of the Year award in 1993. That same year, she also won the Honda Sports Award for basketball. She also received the WBCA Player of the Year award. Sports Illustrated named her one of the 20 female athletes of the decade for 2000 to 2010.
Images for kids
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Swoopes playing for the Seattle Storm in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Sheryl Swoopes para niños
