HOUSTON—Sheryl Swoopes confirmed Sunday that there's a possibility that she'll attend the Opening Ceremony of Gay Games VII, held July 15 at Soldier Field in Chicago, or at least some Games-related events.
Swoopes, a forward for the Houston Comets, is a five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and has the distinction of being the league's first three-time MVP ( 2005, 2002, 2000 ) . Her Comets face the expansion Chicago Sky on July 14 at the UIC Pavilion, then travel to the Indiana Fever two days later.
'I'm trying to do something after our game against Chicago; I don't know exactly what it's going to be, but I know Olivia ( Cruises & Resorts ) is there and they're doing something, so there is a possibility. But I don't know exactly just yet, absolutely,' she said after the Comets lost their season-opener at home, 79-63, to the San Antonio Silver Stars before 10,952 here at the Toyota Center.
Swoopes, 35, was hired last fall as a spokeswoman for Olivia Cruises, which specializes in tour packages for lesbians. Last October, Swoopes came out publicly as a lesbian, making her the highest-profile team-sport athlete to come out while still active.
Swoopes scored a game-high 19 points in the Comets' loss as the WNBA kicks off its 10th anniversary season.
'It's a great thrill and great honor for everyone involved with the league to actually have an opportunity to play professional basketball, especially when so many people didn't think ( the league ) would happen or didn't think it would last,' Swoopes said. 'For me personally, to still be around and running up and down the court, being one of the older players now as opposed to one of the younger players when the league first started, that's definitely an honor for me.
'To still be able to come out here and compete with so much talent in the game today, which wasn't the case when the league first started; there wasn't this much talent. I think that's definitely a compliment to the WNBA, to the players in the game and, hopefully, we'll be around for another 10 years. Or they will; I know I won't.'
The Sky defeated Charlotte 83-82 on May 20 to win Chicago's first regular-season game. The Sky also won their first two pre-season games, defeating Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Sky will face Swoopes and the Comets on the road June 2.
Swoopes won the 2005 WNBA MVP in the closest voting ever, edging Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson for the league's most prestigious award by two points, 327 to 325.
'One of the biggest changes that I've seen ( in the league ) is the talent-level,' Swoopes said. 'When the league first started, you could probably pick three teams and say that, most likely, one of these three teams is going to win the championship. Now, it's anybody's game, anybody's championship because the talent level is so much better and there are so many great players in the game today.
'One of the negative things about the league now, for lack of a better term, is: the lack of sponsorships and ( the amount of ) TV games; I think that's one thing that has gone down tremendously. I have people asking me all the time, 'Why aren't you guys on TV more?' Unfortunately, that's not something I can answer. But, I remember when ( the league ) first started, we had somebody on TV every weekend. I think that's one of the most disappointing things. I don't think we're quite where we hoped we would be after 10 years, but I know it's a process and the league is still growing.'
