Basketball Player - Sheryl Swoopes
(Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)
Background:
Sheryl Swoopes was the first player to be officially signed by the WNBA. Growing up, Sheryl was assigned to play for the Houston Comets. During her time with the Comets, the gifted player helped lead the team to four back-to-back WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000.
Context:
Within the 1990's, women playing basketball has become a normality. More and more females are entering leagues, or schools all across the country just to play basketball. Sheryl also came out later on to be a lesbian. This largely increased her fan base because of her confidence to come out after making history in the WNBA.
(Photo Courtesy of Pinterest.com)
Accomplishments:
- 4× WNBA champion (1997–2000)
- 6× WNBA All-Star (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005,2006)
- WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2005)
- 5× All-WNBA First Team (1998–2000, 2002, 2005)
- 2× All-WNBA Second Team (2003, 2006)
- 3× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2002, 2003)
- 2× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2005, 2006)
- 3× WNBA MVP (2000, 2002, 2005)
- 2× WNBA scoring champion (2000, 2005)
- 2× WNBA steals leader (2000, 2003)
- WNBA Peak Performer (2005)
- WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
- WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
Impact:
Sheryl Swoopes impact carried over to the whole WNBA for the future. Her being the first player in the league, and putting up MVP numbers in just a matter of months inspired many. Sheryl was a huge footprint for the WNBA.
Quotes from Swoopes:
"I want to live my life and be happy with the person that I choose to be happy with. I think we are both at a place in our lives where we are very content with who we are and our situation and we are just ready to share that with the world."
-Sheryl swoopes on coming out
"Those of us who are, we talk to each other because we know that we can find the support that we're not gonna get from a lot of other people."
-Sheryl Swoopes on discussing her lesbian situation
Quotes about Swoopes:
"Swoopes has a spirit of volunteerism and wants to help others."
-Denise Penn
"There are famous people, and then there are stars. Sheryl Swoopes is a star. Widely considered the greatest female basketball player in the history of the sport, Swoopes has augmented her great natural gifts with a drive that has led her Women's National Basketball Association team, the Houston Comets, to the never-equaled feat of a "four-peat"--four national championships in a row."
-Anne Stockwell
Additional Information:
Best Female Basketball Player Ever
(Page written and researched by Pat Seavey)
