Sheryl Swoopes

Born in Brownfield, Texas, Sheryl Swoopes played basketball with her three older brothers, then at Brownfield High School. She was recruited to play at the University of Texas and accepted, but didn't stay long enough to play in a game. She then enrolled in South Plains College, and finally Texas Tech. During her senior season, she led the Lady Raiders to an NCAA title, setting single game records for scoring in the tournament (53) and in the championship game (47, breaking Bill Walton's record). The same year she won the Naismith College Player of the Year award. In 1994, Swoopes was named to the USA national team. She helped team USA win the gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the next year took part in the inaugural season of the WNBA. Playing for the Houston Comets, Swoopes led the team to 4 consecutive WNBA championships between 1997 and 2000. In 2000, won her first WNBA MVP award and again helped lead Team USA to Gold in the Sydney Olympics. She won another gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics, and continued playing for the Comets through 2007. She spent the 2008 season with the Seattle Storm, then sat out a few years before returning for one final season with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. In 2013, Swoopes was named head coach of the Loyola University (Chicago) women's basketball team. She was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. The same year, Loyola University opened an investigation into player mistreatment by Swoopes.