Sheryl Swoopes - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

player who, subsequent to being waived into free agency, signed to re-join the WNBA

Women's National Basketball Association

The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...

to play with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

Gold Medals and is a three-time WNBA MVP. Frequently referred to as the "female Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

," Swoopes is famous for both her offensive and defensive skills. In 2005, she averaged 18.6 points, 85% free throw

Free throw

In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...

s, 4.3 assist

Assist (basketball)

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" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...

s, 2.65 steal

Steal (basketball)

In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...

s and 37.1 minutes playing time per game. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.

Early success

Born in Brownfield, Texas

Brownfield, Texas

Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,940 at the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Terry County near Lubbock in West Texas.-Geography:...

, Swoopes was raised by her mother Louise Swoopes, and played basketball with her three older brothers. She began competing at age seven, in a local children's league called Little Dribblers. Coached under Dickie Faught and Kathey Granger, Swoopes was a member and junior on the 1988

1988 in sports

1988 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...

Texas State Championship team.

College years

Initially recruited by the University of Texas, Swoopes left the school shortly after her arrival without playing a game, and enrolled at South Plains College

South Plains College

South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...

. After playing at South Plains for two years, Swoopes transferred to Texas Tech.

In 1993 Swoopes won the NCAA women's basketball championship

NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...

with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...

during her senior season. 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

Carolyn Thompson

Carolyn Thompson is a former Texas Tech basketball player, playing from 1980-1984. She was born in Hobbs, New Mexico.With a career total of 2,655 points, Thompson is the all-time leading scorer for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and is ranked second in points per game with 21.9...

and Krista Kirkland, Swoopes' teammate from the 1993 championship team.

As of 2010, 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 (35.4 in the 1993 tournament, second place), best single-game championship scoring performance (47 points vs. Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...

, 1993 championship), which broke Bill Walton's record, and scoring record for championship series (177 points, five games).

Swoopes also set several school records at Texas Tech

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...

. 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.

Swoopes was the 1993 winner of the Naismith College Player of the Year

Naismith College Player of the Year

The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....

award, was selected as that year's WBCA

Women's Basketball Coaches Association

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...

Player of the Year, and was chosen to the Division I All-American squad in both 1992 and 1993. Swoopes was named the 1993 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation.

WNBA career

Swoopes was recruited for the Houston Comets of the WNBA during the 1997 inaugural season. She returned only six weeks after giving birth to her son to play the last third of the WNBA inaugural season and lead the Comets in the 1997

1997 in sports

1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...

WNBA Championship. 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

WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award

The Women's National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association award given since the league's inaugural season, to the top defensive player of the regular season...

(2000, 2002, 2003). 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

Lisa Deshaun Leslie-Lockwood is a former American professional women's basketball player in the WNBA. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner...

. 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

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

with the USA Basketball Women's National Team (WNT) at the 1996 Olympic Games and became a focal point of the fledgling WNBA. The 1996 Olympic win over Brazil (117–87) is considered by some to be the "best woman's basketball game they'd ever seen." She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004).

Swoopes is the first women's basketball player to have a Nike

Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

shoe named after her: the "Air Swoopes".

On March 3, 2008 Swoopes signed with the Seattle Storm

Seattle Storm

The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...

ending her eleven year career with the Houston Comets

Houston Comets

The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...

. She was waived by the Storm on February 3, 2009.

Two days after her fortieth birthday, sources for the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

claimed that Swoopes was preparing to return to the WNBA in anticipation of an official signing announcement from the Tulsa Shock that was made on 28 March 2011. At the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game

2011 WNBA All-Star Game

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, home of the San Antonio Silver Stars. The game was the 10th WNBA All-Star Game, which has been held annually since 1999 except in 2004, 2008, and 2010...

, she was announced as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteen year history of the WNBA.

On August 26, 2011, the 40-year-old Swoopes hit a buzzer-beating shot to edge the Los Angeles Sparks 77-75 and end the Shock's WNBA-record 20-game losing streak.

Regular season

|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1997

1997 WNBA Season

-External links:*...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 9 || 0 || 14.3 || .472 || .250 || .714 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 0.44 || 7.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1998

1998 WNBA season

-External links:**...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 29 || 29 || 32.3 || .427 || .360 || .826 || 5.1 || 2.1 || 2.5 || 0.5 || 2.00 || 15.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1999

1999 WNBA season

-External links:**...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 32 || 32 || 34.4 || .462 || .337 || .820 || 6.3 || 4.0 || 2.4 || 1.4 || 2.59 || 18.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2000

2000 WNBA season

-External links:**...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 31 || 31 || 35.2 || .506 || .374 || .821 || 6.3 || 3.8 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|2.8 || 1.1 || 2.65 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|20.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2002

2002 WNBA season

-External links:***...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 32 || 32 || 36.1 || .434 || .288 || .825 || 4.9 || 3.3 || 2.8 || 0.7 || 2.72 || 18.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2003

2003 WNBA season

-External links:***...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 31 || 30 || 35.0 || .406 || .304 || .887 || 4.6 || 3.9 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|2.5 || 0.8 || 2.35 || 15.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2004

2004 WNBA season

-External links:***...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 31 || 31 || 34.5 || .422 || .308 || .856 || 4.9 || 2.9 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 1.90 || 14.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2005

2005 WNBA season

-External links:***...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 33 || 33 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|37.1 || .447 || .360 || .850 || 3.6 || 4.3 || 2.0 || 0.8 || 2.18 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|18.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006

2006 WNBA season

-External links:*******...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 31 || 31 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|35.8 || .413 || .278 || .764 || 5.9 || 3.7 || 2.1 || 0.3 || 2.39 || 15.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007

2007 WNBA season

-External links:* * * * * * * *...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 3 || 3 || 35.3 || .360 || .143 || 1.000 || 5.7 || 3.7 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 3.00 || 7.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2008

2008 WNBA season

-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....

| style="text-align:left;"| Seattle

Seattle Storm

| 29 || 25 || 24.3 || .391 || .222 || .695 || 4.3 || 2.1 || 1.5 || 0.3 || 1.07 || 7.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2011

2011 WNBA season

The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...

| style="text-align:left;"| Tulsa
| 33 || 28 || 26.6 || .398 || .319 || .870 || 4.1 || 2.3 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 1.36 || 8.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|12 years, 3 teams
| 324 || 205 || 32.7 || .436 || .316 || .825 || 4.9 || 3.2 || 2.0 || 0.7 || 2.09 || 15.0

Postseason

Houston Comets

| 2 || 0 || 7.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.5 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 0.00 || 0.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1998
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 5 || 5 || 37.6 || .443 || .278 || .933 || 10.0 || 5.2 || 1.8 || 1.4 || 3.20 || 14.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1999
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 6 || 6 || 36.0 || .358 || .308 || .929 || 3.7 || 1.2 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 2.00 || 14.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2000
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 6 || 6 || 36.7 || .471 || .471 || .793 || 5.7 || 3.2 || 2.8 || 0.0 || 2.00 || 18.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2002
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 3 || 3 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|42.3 || .397 || .333 || .800 || 7.3 || 5.7 || 4.0 || 0.7 || 2.67 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|24.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2003
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 3 || 3 || 36.7 || .435 || .100 || .938 || 6.3 || 4.3 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 1.67 || 18.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2005
| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 5 || 5 || 37.8 || .402 || .357 || .810 || 5.6 || 3.8 || 1.4 || 0.4 || 3.00 || 18.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006

2006 WNBA Playoffs

The 2006 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2006 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Shock defeating the Western Conference champion Sacramento Monarchs 3-2.-Format:...

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

Houston Comets

| 2 || 2 || 31.0 || .389 || .167 || .875 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 1.00 || 11.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2008

2008 WNBA Playoffs

The 2008 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2008 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Shock defeating the Western Conference champion San Antonio Silver Stars 3-0.-Format:...

| style="text-align:left;"| Seattle

Seattle Storm

| 3 || 2 || 24.0 || .320 || .200 || .889 || 3.3 || 1.0 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 1.67 || 8.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|9 years, 2 teams
| 35 || 32 || 34.3 || .406 || .293 || .861 || 5.5 || 3.1 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 2.14 || 15.5

Europe

2004-2005 : VBM-SGAU Samara
2005-2006 : Taranto Cras Basket
2010: Esperides Kallitheas

Personal life

Swoopes was married from June 1995 to 1999 to her high school sweetheart, with whom she had a son, Jordan Eric Jackson in 1997. In October 2005, with her announcement that she is gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

, Swoopes became one of the most high profile athletes in a team sport to do so publicly. She and her partner, former basketball player and Houston Comets

Houston Comets

assistant coach, Alisa Scott, whom Swoopes at the time said she would like to someday marry, together raised Swoopes's son, Jordan.

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."

In 2008, Sheryl Swoopes made an appearance on Shirts & Skins
Shirts & Skins
Shirts & Skins an American 6 episode television reality series premiered September 15, 2008 on Logo. The show explores the lives of the San Francisco The Rockdogs, "an all-gay basketball team trying to uphold its three-generation legacy of international Gay Games gold medals, and U.S...

, a reality series from the television channel LOGO

Logo (TV channel)

Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...

. Swoopes flew out to mentor the San Francisco Rockdogs, a gay basketball team, and shared her experiences on basketball, family, faith, and coming out, helping to bring the team closer together.

As of 2009, Swoopes has been coaching the girls basketball team at Mercer Island High School, while head coach Jamie Prescott has been on maternity leave.

As of 2011, Swoopes had broken up with Alisa Scott and was reportedly engaged to a man.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.