Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971) is an American professional  basketball player who played most recently for the  Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created.  She has won three  Olympic Gold Medals and is a three-time  WNBA MVP. Frequently referred to as the “female  Michael Jordan,” Swoopes is famous for both her offensive and defensive skills. In 2005, she averaged 18.6 points, 85%  free throws, 4.3   assists, 2.65  steals and 37.1 minutes playing time per game.

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. After playing at South Plains for two years, Swoopes transferred to Texas Tech.  In 1993 Swoopes won the   NCAA women’s basketball championship with the  Texas Tech Lady Raiders 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 and  Krista Kirkland, Swoopes’ teammate from the 1994 championship team.

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 (35.4 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).  Swoopes also set several school records at   Texas Tech. 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 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.

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 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 (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. 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. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004).

Swoopes is the first women’s basketball player to have a  Nike shoe named after her: the “Air Swoopes”.