Sheryl Swoopes
As a result of Title IX, and a new generation of parents who want their daughters to have the opportunities they never had, women's sports have arrived.Collection: Sports
No matter how far life pushes you down, no matter how much you hurt, you can always bounce back.
For me, honestly, it's not about individual accomplishments, individual award. It's about what I've got to do and how I can contribute to the team.
I'm at a place in my life right now where I'm very happy, very content. I'm finally OK with the idea of who I love, who I want to be with.
Dream big work hard.
I was very bitter, frustrated, hurt, angry - I went through all types of emotions when I first was out of the WNBA.
I always believe someone somewhere is working harder than me and that motivates me to work harder, give 100%.
I've accomplished everything a person can accomplish on a basketball court, but I never thought about the future when I was younger. I never made plans for the next stage in my life.
Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court.
I like to see people doubt me.
There is nothing I've been through in my life that I regret, or that I would go back and change. I feel like everything that happened - personally and professionally - I went through for a reason, and I learned from those things.
I never really officially retired from the WNBA, I just left the doors open.
I have accomplished everything I set out to accomplish when I started playing the sport at 7. And probably even more.
I've always been a firm believer in mind over matter. If you don't believe you can achieve, your body will start to believe this and you'll be stuck.
If you do not believe yourself no one else will.
To me, the most important thing is happiness.
Some people might say my coming out after just winning the MVP award is heroic, and I understand that.
I can't help who I fall in love with. No one can.
Discovering I'm gay just sort of happened much later in life.
I never thought a basketball shoe would be named after a woman, let alone me.
I didn't grow up thinking, 'Oh, maybe someday I'm going to have a shoe named after me.'
There was the misconception out there that I retired after the 2008 season, but that was never the case. I wasn't done with basketball yet, and I'm still not done.
I had never made any plans beyond basketball.
TV is what sells your product.
Being gay has nothing to do with the three gold medals or the three MVPs or the four championships I've won. I'm still the same person. I'm Sheryl.
Women play just as hard as guys do. We're just as competitive.
Every level that I have ever competed on, I have risen to the top.
It didn't matter how good I was. It was always, 'You're a girl. You can't play with the guys.' It's always been motivation for me.
I don't want to have to hide from the world anymore.
I'm finally OK with the idea of who I love, who I want to be with.
Players don't really ask for much or want much. But the things that they do need are important.
Everybody wants to win.
There are so many women out there relying on me to represent them.
You have to be positive, and I'm not just talking about athletics, this also applies to life.
Be positive and work hard. I think it's possible to overcome anything, if you're willing to work at it.Collection: Sports
I want to show kids, look where I came from. You can do it too if you believe and are willing to work hard.Collection: Leadership
...as far as self-discipline goes, it's still ultimately up to me how well I can push myself. Only I can do that. I just have to keep on going, keep on working, keep on improving.Collection: Leadership
I don't think it's tough to get there mentally. Your mind is saying, 'You know how to do this.' But your body doesn't always respond.Collection: Basketball
My reason for coming out isn't to be some sort of hero.Collection: Hero
I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love.Collection: Tired
It's frustrating - not that I expect to be the same person I was 10 years ago, but I do expect to do certain things. In all honesty, my body for the most part feels really good. But at this point of my career, I have to rely on different parts of my game, knowing how to take some short cuts when you can.Collection: Basketball