Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971)[1] is an American former professionalbasketball player. She was the first player to be signed in theWNBA,[2] is a three-timeWNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time at the2011 WNBA All-Star Game. Swoopes has won threeOlympic gold medals and is one of eleven women's basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal,[3] anNCAA Championship, aFIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.[4] In 2017, she was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame.[5]
Born inBrownfield, Texas, Swoopes was raised by her mother, Louise Swoopes, and played basketball with her three older brothers.[6] She began competing at age seven in a local children's league called Little Dribblers.[7] She played basketball atBrownfield High School.[8]
Initially recruited by theUniversity of Texas, Swoopes left the school shortly after her arrival, without playing a game, and enrolled atSouth Plains College. After playing at South Plains for two years, Swoopes transferred toTexas Tech,[6]David L., Porter, ed. (2005).Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary.Greenwood Press. p. 464.ISBN 978-0-313-30952-6.[9]
In 1993, Swoopes won theNCAA women's basketball championship with theTexas Tech Lady Raiders during her senior season.[10] 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 areCarolyn Thompson andKrista Kirkland, Swoopes' teammate from the 1993 championship team.[11]
As of 2010, Swoopes was still a part of the 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,[12]: 217 1993 championship), which broke Bill Walton's record,[6] and scoring record for championship series (177 points, five games). She set the record for the most field goals in the championship game with 16.[13]
Swoopes also set several school records at Texas Tech. She scored 955 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 23 double-doubles, 14 of which came during her senior year.[14]
Swoopes was the 1993 winner of theNaismith College Player of the Year award at the age of 22, theHonda Sports Award,[15] was selected as that year'sWBCA 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.[16]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Texas Tech | 32 | 690 | 50.3% | 41.0% | 80.8% | 8.9 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 21.6 |
| 1993 | Texas Tech | 34 | 955 | 54.6% | 41.0% | 86.8% | 9.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 28.1 |
| Career | 66 | 1645 | 52.7% | 41.0% | 84.4% | 9.0 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 24.9 |
Source[17]
Swoopes was named to the USA national team and competed in the 1994 World Championships, held in June 1994 inSydney, Australia.[10] The team was coached byTara VanDerveer, and won their first six games, when they faced Brazil. In a closely contested, high-scoring game, Brazil hit 10 of 10 free throws in the final minute to secure a 110–107 victory. The USA won a close final game against Australia 100–95 to earn the bronze medal. Swoopes averaged 9.1 points per game, while recording seven steals, second highest on the team.[18]
Swoopes was selected to represent the US at the 1995 USA Women's Pan American Games, but only four teams committed to participate, so the event was cancelled.[19]
Swoopes continued as a member of the USA team at the 1996 Olympics, held inAtlanta, Georgia. The USA team won all their pool play games by large margins, although they were behind Cuba by as many as seven points beforeLisa Leslie's 24 points helped the USA take over the game.[20]
In 2002, Swoopes was named to the national team which competed in the World Championships inZhangjiagang,Changzhou, andNanjing, China. The team was coached byVan Chancellor. Swoopes scored 16.9 points per game, second highest on the team and recorded a team-high 24 steals. The USA team won all nine games, including a close title game against Russia, which had a one-point difference late in the game.[21]
Swoopes was named to the National Team representing the US at the 2006 World Championships, held inBarueri andSao Paulo, Brazil. The team won eight of their nine contests, but the lone loss came in the semifinal medal round to Russia. The USA beat Brazil in the final game to earn the bronze medal. Swoopes, hampered by injuries, averaged 3.0 points per game and was second on the team with six blocks.[22]
Swoopes was recruited for the Houston Comets of the WNBA during the 1997 inaugural season. Due to the birth of her son, Swoopes had a late-season debut for her career, playing her first game on August 7, 1997 (6 weeks after the season started). In her debut game, the Comets defeated thePhoenix Mercury 74 - 70 with Swoopes playing for 5 minutes and recording no stats.[23]
As a 11 year member of the Houston Comets, she accumulated over 2,000 career points, 500 career rebounds, 300 career assists, and 200 career steals. Her extraordinary scoring and defensive ability made her the first three-time WNBA MVP (2000, 2002, and 2005) and the first three-timeWNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2002, and 2003). Swoopes is also a four-time WNBA champion as the Comets won the first 4 championships in WNBA history from 1997 to 2000.[24]
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 wasLisa Leslie. Swoopes is also the first player in WNBA history to record a triple-double in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Swoopes gained national prominence when she won thegold medal with the USA Basketball Women's National Team at the1996 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."[12]: 216 She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, and 2004).[3]
Swoopes is the first women's basketball player to have aNike shoe named after her: the "Air Swoopes".[6]
On March 3, 2008, Swoopes signed with theSeattle Storm, ending her 11-year career with the Houston Comets. She was waived by the Storm on February 3, 2009.[25]
Two days after her 40th birthday in 2011, sources for theAssociated Press claimed that Swoopes was preparing to return to the WNBA in anticipation of an official signing announcement from theTulsa Shock.[26][27] At the2011 WNBA All-Star Game, she was announced as one of the top 15 players in the 15-year history of the WNBA.[28]
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.[29]
Swoopes' final WNBA game was played on September 11, 2011, a 94–102 loss to theSan Antonio Silver Stars, where she recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.[30] After the 2011 season, on February 12, 2012, Tulsa Shock owner Steve Swetoha announced that the team did not intend to offer Swoopes a new contract and she became an unrestrictedfree agent.[31]
In 2016, she was voted into theWNBA Top 20@20, in celebration of the league's 20th anniversary.
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Esperides Kallitheas[32]Swoopes won the femaleAssociated Press Athlete of the Year award in 1993.[33] The same year, she also won theHonda Sports Award for basketball and theWBCA Player of the Year award.[34] She was named one of the 20 female athletes of the decade for 2000 to 2010 bySports Illustrated.
In 2008, Sheryl Swoopes made an appearance onShirts & Skins, a reality series onLogo TV. Swoopes mentored the San Francisco Rockdogs, a gay basketball team, and shared her experiences on basketball, family, faith, and coming out.[35]
In 2010, Swoopes was an assistant basketball coach atMercer Island High School inWashington.[36] She was a color analyst for the Texas Tech women's basketball broadcast during the 2012–2013 season.[37]
In 2013, Swoopes became head coach of theLoyola University Chicago women's basketball team. In April 2016, Loyola announced that it was investigating Swoopes for alleged mistreatment, after the school newspaper reported that 10 of the team's players had either transferred or wanted a release from their scholarships.[36][38] On July 4, 2016, Loyola announced it had fired Swoopes as a result of the investigation but declined to say what it had found.[39]
In July 2017, Swoopes returned to her alma mater, Texas Tech, as the women's basketball Director of Player Development, where her job included resuming work as color analysis for broadcast Lady Raiders games.[40] Following the firing of head coachCandi Whitaker on January 1, 2018, Swoopes was promoted to regular assistant coach under interim head coach Shimmy Gray-Miller.[41][42] In October 2024, Swoopes and Jordan Robinson, journalist and podcaster, began a weeklypodcast titledQueens of the Court.
Swoopes was married from June 1995 to 1999 to her high-school sweetheart, Eric Jackson. The two have a son, Jordan Eric Jackson (b. 1997),[43] named afterMichael Jordan.[44] Jordan Jackson, who was born some two months before his mother's WNBA debut, is also a basketball player and in 2024, wearing hisMaine Celtics uniform with the same number 22 Sheryl wore during her career, won theG League'sdunk contest.[44]
In October 2005, Swoopes announced she wasgay, becoming one of the highest-profile athletes in a team sport to do so publicly.[45][46][47] Swoopes stated
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 2016, she was named anLGBT History Month Icon by the Equality Forum.[48] She and her partner, former basketball player andHouston Comets assistant coach Alisa Scott, together raised Swoopes' son.[49]
The couple separated in 2011. Later that year, Swoopes got engaged to Chris Unclesho, a longtime male friend. After a long engagement, the couple wed on July 21, 2017.[50]
Swoopes is an honorary member ofSigma Gamma Rho sorority; she was inducted on July 5, 2025.[51]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Swoopes won aWNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997† | Houston | 9 | 0 | 14.3 | .472 | .250 | .714 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.44 | 7.1 |
| 1998† | Houston | 29 | 29 | 32.3 | .427 | .360 | .826 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.00 | 15.6 |
| 1999† | Houston | 32 | 32 | 34.4 | .462 | .337 | .820 | 6.3 | 4.0 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 2.59 | 18.3 |
| 2000† | Houston | 31 | 31 | 35.2 | .506 | .374 | .821 | 6.3 | 3.8 | 2.8° | 1.1 | 2.65 | 20.7° |
| 2002 | Houston | 32 | 32 | 36.1 | .434 | .288 | .825 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 2.72 | 18.5 |
| 2003 | Houston | 31 | 30 | 35.0 | .406 | .304 | .887 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 2.5° | 0.8 | 2.35 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | Houston | 31 | 31 | 34.5 | .422 | .308 | .856 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.90 | 14.8 |
| 2005 | Houston | 33 | 33 | 37.1° | .447 | .360 | .850 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 2.18 | 18.6° |
| 2006 | Houston | 31 | 31 | 35.8° | .413 | .278 | .764 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 2.39 | 15.5 |
| 2007 | Houston | 3 | 3 | 35.3 | .360 | .143 | 1.000 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 3.00 | 7.7 |
| 2008 | Seattle | 29 | 25 | 24.3 | .391 | .222 | .695 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.07 | 7.1 |
| 2011 | Tulsa | 33 | 28 | 29.9 | .398 | .319 | .870 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.36 | 8.2 |
| Career | 12 years, 3 teams | 324 | 205 | 32.7 | .436 | .316 | .825 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.09 | 15.0 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997† | Houston | 2 | 0 | 7.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1998† | Houston | 5 | 5 | 37.6 | .443 | .278 | .933 | 10.0 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.20 | 14.6 |
| 1999† | Houston | 6 | 6 | 36.0 | .358 | .308 | .929 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 2.00 | 14.7 |
| 2000† | Houston | 6 | 6 | 36.7 | .471 | .471 | .793 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 2.00 | 18.8 |
| 2002 | Houston | 3 | 3 | 42.3° | .397 | .333 | .800 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 2.67 | 24.3 |
| 2003 | Houston | 3 | 3 | 36.7 | .435 | .100 | .938 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.67 | 18.7 |
| 2005 | Houston | 5 | 5 | 37.8 | .402 | .357 | .810 | 5.6 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 3.00 | 18.4 |
| 2006 | Houston | 2 | 2 | 31.0 | .389 | .167 | .875 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 11.0 |
| 2008 | Seattle | 3 | 2 | 24.0 | .320 | .200 | .889 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.67 | 8.7 |
| Career | 9 years, 2 teams | 35 | 32 | 34.3 | .406 | .293 | .861 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 2.14 | 15.5 |
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Ramblers(Missouri Valley Conference)(2013–2016) | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Loyola (Chicago) | 11–21 | 6–12 | 8th | |||||
| 2014–15 | Loyola (Chicago) | 6–25 | 3–15 | 9th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Loyola (Chicago) | 14–16 | 10–8 | 5th | |||||
| Loyola (Chicago): | 31–62 | 19–35 | |||||||
| Total: | 31–62 | ||||||||
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