30 greatest female athletes of all time
By Nick Villano
23. Sheryl Swoopes
Basketball
Sheryl Swoopes was one of the original greats in the WNBA. She was with the league when it started in 1996. While she had to start a little late due to the birth of her son, she made an impact from the beginning. She started with the Houston Comets, playing not too far away from her collegiate Texas Tech.
While in Lubbock, Swoopes was a two-time All-American at Texas Tech in 1992 and 1993. She also won the Naismith College Player of the Year during her senior season. Her performance in the 1993 NCAA Championship Game is one of the most captivating performances in history. She scored a then-record 47 points against Ohio State to lift the trophy for the Red Raiders. She scored 16 total baskets and added an 11-for-11 performance at the free-throw line for good measure.
No player in WNBA history has more MVPs than Sheryl Swoopes. She’s won the award three times, in 2000, 2002, and 2005. She was also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, putting in the effort every single night to dominate on both sides of the court. There are not many players in basketball history, man or woman, who had equal dominance on both sides of the court.
Beyond her work on U.S. soil, Swoopes was incredibly successful on the international stage. She won gold medals at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics. In October 2005, Swoopes came out as gay, becoming one of the biggest names in sports to do so. She was named an LGBT History Month Icon by the Equality Forum.