Medal record
Sheryl Swoopes during her visit to the White House with her champion Houston Comets team in 2001
Women's Basketball
Competitor for  United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Team Competition
Gold	2000 Sydney	Team Competition
Gold	2004 Athens	Team Competition
World Championship
Bronze	2006 Brazil	Team Competition

Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA, and was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball has been played consistently at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936 with demonstration events in 1904 and 1924 The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International Final results for the Basketball Competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever Final results for the Basketball Competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the indoor arena in the Helliniko Olympic Complex in Athens, Greece for the preliminary The FIBA World Championship for Women (also called the Basketball World Championship for Women) is a world Basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially The 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women took place in Brazil from September 12 to September 23, 2006. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The Seattle Storm is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA team based in Seattle Washington. ^[1] She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and is a three-time WNBA MVP. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Frequently referred to as the "female Michael Jordan," Swoopes is famous for both her offensive and defensive skills. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman In 2005, she averaged 18. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 6 points, 85% free throws, 4. Main article Basketball moves In Basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted 3 assists, 2. In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" 65 steals and 37. In Basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally gains control of the ball from an offensive player 1 minutes playing time per game.

Contents 1 Early success 2 College years 3 WNBA career 4 International career 4.1 Europe 5 Personal 5.1 Coming Out 6 Vital statistics 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links

Early success

Born in Brownfield, Texas, Swoopes was raised by her mother Louise Swoopes, and played basketball with her three older brothers. Brownfield is an isolated and economically depressed town in Terry County, Texas, United States. She began competing at age seven, in a local children's league called Little Dribblers. ^[2] Coached under Dickie Faught and Kathey Granger, Swoopes was a member and junior on the 1988 Texas State Championship team. Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1988 in athletics (track and field Marathon International ^[3]

College years

In 1993 Swoopes won the NCAA women's basketball championship with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders during her senior season. The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual Basketball tournament for women The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University. Her jersey was retired by the school the following year, making her one of only three Lady Raiders to be honored in this way. The others are Carolyn Thompson and Krista Kirkland, Swoopes' teammate from the 1994 championship team. Carolyn Thompson is a former Texas Tech basketball player playing from 1980-1984 ^[4]

As of 2006, Swoopes was still a part of the NCAA women's basketball record books in many categories, including single-game scoring record (53 points on March 13, 1993 vs. Texas, tied for tenth place), single-season scoring (955 points in the 1993 season, fourth place), highest Championship Tournament scoring average (35. Texas Longhorns athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of The University of Texas at Austin. 4 in the 1993 tournament, second place), best single-game championship scoring performance (47 points vs. Ohio State, 1993 championship), and scoring record for championship series (177 points, four games). The Ohio State University 's intercollegiate sports teams and players are called the "Buckeyes" (after the state tree the Buckeye) and participate in the NCAA

Swoopes also set several school records at Texas Tech. Texas Tech University is a public, coeducational research university in Lubbock Texas. She scored 955 points in the 1992-93 season, which is an all-time scoring record for a single season (as of 2006). Swoopes' 24. 9 points-per-game average for her career is the best in school history; she also boasts three triple-doubles and twenty-three double-doubles, fourteen of which came during her senior year. ^[5]

Swoopes was the 1993 winner of the Naismith College Player of the Year award, was selected as that year's WBCA Player of the Year, and was chosen to the Division I All-American squad in both 1992 and 1993. The Naismith College Player of the Year award named for Basketball inventor James Naismith, is given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to College

WNBA career

Swoopes was recruited for the Houston Comets of the WNBA during the 1997 inaugural season. She came back from giving birth to her son, to play the last third of the WNBA inaugural season and lead the Comets in the 1997 WNBA Championship. Artistic gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Ivan Ivankov, Belarus As a member of the Houston Comets, she has accumulated over 2,000 career points, 500 career rebounds, 300 career assists and 200 career steals. Her extraordinary scoring and defensive ability have made her the first three-time WNBA MVP (2000, 2002, 2005) and the first three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2002, 2003). The WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual award given by the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA to the WNBA player who has had the most outstanding Swoopes is a four-time WNBA champion (1997–2000).

Swoopes is the second player in WNBA history to win both the regular season MVP award and the All-Star Game MVP award in the same season. The first player to accomplish this was Lisa Leslie. Lisa Leslie (born July 7 1972 in Gardena California) is a WNBA player currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. Swoopes is also the first player in WNBA history to record a playoff triple-double.

Swoopes gained national prominence when she won the gold medal with the USA Basketball Women's National Team (WNT) at the 1996 Olympic Games and became a focal point of the fledgling WNBA. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004).

On March 3, 2008 Swoopes signed with the Seattle Storm ending her eleven year career with the Houston Comets. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Seattle Storm is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA team based in Seattle Washington. The Houston Comets are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA team based in Houston Texas.

International career

Europe

• 2004-2005 : VBM-SGAU Samara
• 2005-2006 : Taranto Cras Basket

Personal

Swoopes is the first women's basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her: the "Air Swoopes". Nike Inc ('naɪki ( is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. She married her high school sweetheart in June 1995 and had a son, Jordan Eric Jackson, in 1997. Swoopes' divorce, with joint child custody, was final in 1999.

Coming Out

In October 2005, Swoopes publicly announced that she is a lesbian and became one of the most high profile athletes in a team sport to come out publicly. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women She and her partner, Alisa Scott (former basketball player and former Houston Comets assistant coach), are raising Swoopes' son together. Swoopes told an Associated Press reporter that she would like to marry Scott one day. ^[6]

In an ESPN. com article, Swoopes said "it doesn't change who I am. I can't help who I fall in love with. No one can. . . Discovering I'm gay just sort of happened much later in life. Being intimate with [Alisa] or any other woman never entered my mind. At the same time, I'm a firm believer that when you fall in love with somebody, you can't control that. " ^[7]

Vital statistics

• Position: Forward
• Height: 6 ft 0 in (1. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m 83 m)
• College: Texas Tech 1993
• Team(s): Houston Comets, Seattle Storm (WNBA), Dallas Fury/Lubbock Hawks (NWBL)

Notes

References

• AP article by Kristie Riechen
• Swoopes compared to Jordan by NBA.com
• Houston Chronicle article on Swoopes memorabilia being auctioned off
• KHOU-TV report on a storage business auctioning Swoopes' items

External links

• WNBA player profile
• Sheryl Swoopes' U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Swoopes signs with the Seattle Storm

Awards
Preceded by Dawn Staley	Naismith College Player of the Year (women's) 1993	Succeeded by Lisa Leslie

Awards
Preceded by Yolanda Griffith	WNBA MVP 2000	Succeeded by Lisa Leslie

Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is a US-American Basketball player and coach The Naismith College Player of the Year award named for Basketball inventor James Naismith, is given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to College Lisa Leslie (born July 7 1972 in Gardena California) is a WNBA player currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. Yolanda Evette Griffith (born March 1, 1970 in Chicago Illinois) is an American professional Basketball player currently playing for the Lisa Leslie (born July 7 1972 in Gardena California) is a WNBA player currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks.

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