Sheryl Denise Swoopes (born March 25, 1971 in Brownfield, Texas) is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Comets in the WNBA. After winning the 1993 NCAA women's basketball title with Texas Tech, she gained national prominence when she won the gold medal with the USA Women's Basketball Team at the 1996 Olympic Games.She is one of the most decorated female athletes in recent memory. She has won a collegiate national title, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) and a four-time WNBA champion (1997 - 2000). 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 scoring and defensive ability have helped her become a three-time WNBA MVP (2000, 2002, 2005) and a three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2002, 2003). Swoopes's contributions to women's basketball as well as her tough play through injury have her generally considered to be one of the best female basketball players of all time. She is also the first women's basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her: the "Air Swoopes".

In October 2005, she publicly announced that she is gay, becoming the most high profile athlete in a team sport to do so.

--Wikipedia