Sheryl Swoopes
(Born 1971)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2016
Card Shown:
2016 Panini
Hall of Fame
Position: F/G
Height: 6’0″
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Sheryl Swoopes was a top basketball player who was successful at every level: from an NCAA Championship with Texas Tech, to four WNBA Championships with the Houston Comets, and three Olympic gold medals with Team USA. Sheryl was an one of the pioneers of the WNBA, actually signing the first contract in league history. She was also the first woman to have her own signature shoe, the Nike “Air Swoopes.” Adding to her list of firsts, Sheryl was the first to record a triple-double in the WNBA (July 27, 1999) and the first player in the WNBA to record a triple-double in the playoffs (2005). Finally, she and Cynthia Cooper were the first players to win an NCAA title, a WNBA Championship, and an Olympic gold medal.
Awards and Honors
- Sheryl was First Team All-America for Texas Tech in both 1992 and 1993. She led the Lady Raiders to NCAA Championship in 1993. In the final game, she poured in 47 points as Texas Tech defeated Ohio State 84-82. Swoopes was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
- Sheryl won three Olympic basketball gold medals with Team USA in 1996 in Atlanta, 2000 in Sydney , and 2004 in Athens.
- Swoopes helped lead the Houston Comets to four straight WNBA Championships from 1997-2000. These were the first four years that the WNBA was in existence. Joining her on those Comets championship teams were Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson.
- Sheryl was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2000, 2002, and 2005 and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2000, 2002, and 2003.
- Swoopes was selected a WNBA All-Star six times during her twelve year basketball career. She also received All-WNBA First Team recognition five times and All-WNBA Second Team twice.
Points of Interest
- Sheryl, along with Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo, were among the first players signed to the newly formed WNBA in 1996.
- She led the WNBA in scoring two times, with 20.7 points per game in 2000 and 18.6 points per game in 2005.
- Over the course of her career, playing for the Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa Shock, Swoopes averaged 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
- In 2016, Sheryl was named one of the Top 20 WNBA Players in the first 20 years of the league.
- Swoopes was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Statistics
Sheryl Swoopes Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Personal Autograph Interaction
On the Saturday afternoon of the 2023 Hall of Fame Induction weekend, the Hall of Fame hosted an autograph session that included six Hall of Famers. This was a paid event that took place at a room in the Hall of Fame building in Springfield. Each ticket holder could get one item signed as well as a signature on a poster of all six players that was included in the signing.
I had two different cards and asked Sheryl which card she like the most. She chose the one that I was not going to get signed. Instead, I asked her to sign the 1997 WNBA Pinnacle rookie card pictured below. Sheryl said she did not care for that card as much because it was just a big picture of her face, but I think the image of Sheryl looking through a basketball net is unique and a great way to capture her image for a rookie card.
Thank you, Sheryl!
In-Person Autograph Photo
Sheryl Swoopes – 2005 WNBA Rittenhouse Archives Autograph Jersey Card
