Sheryl Denise Swoopes was born in Brownfield, Texas. Her parents divorced before she turned one, and she stayed with her mother. As a child, she used to play basketball with her older brothers, and at the age of 7, she began to compete in a local group. Swoopes went on to play at her high school basketball team and caught the attention of numerous college recruiters. After graduation, Swoopes joined the University of Texas team but left soon without playing a single game. She relocated to South Plains College, playing there for two years before enrolling at Texas Tech, playing with the Texas Tech Lady Raiders. In 1993, at the age of 22, while in her senior year, Swoopes led her team to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship while setting a new record for most points scored in the title game with 47 points, for which she was named the National Player of the Year. In 1994, Swoopes joined the US Women’s Basketball Team. She played with them for more than ten years, winning three Olympic gold medals, two world cup gold medals, and a Goodwill games gold medal. Following her success, in 1996, at 25, Swoopes was the first player to sign with the newly formed Women’s National Basketball Association, WNBA, playing with the Houston Comets and leading the team to win the first WNBA title in 1997. During the 11 years career in the team, Swoopes had scored more than 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals. She was also was the first player to be named three times WNBA MVP, three times WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and four times WNBA champion. In 2008, at the age of 37, Swoopes left Houston Comets to play with the Seattle Storm. In the following season, she joined the Greek team for several years. In 2011, she returned to the US and played with the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock. A year later, she left and played as a free agent. In 2017, she returned to Texas Tech as the Director of Player Development and then as an assistant coach. In 2019, Swoopes founded Back to Our Roots, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers youth through sports and cultures.   Dive deeper into the inspiring story of Sheryl Swoopes with our fun and engaging printable worksheet! Available now on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers. Read more...