Mik 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Calling life in the closet "miserable," three-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes announced she is gay in an exclusive interview in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine. "My reason for coming out isn't to be some sort of hero," Swoopes, a forward with the Houston Comets, says in the article. "I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not. I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love. “ I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not. I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love. ” "Male athletes of my caliber probably feel like they have a lot more to lose than gain [by coming out]. I don't agree with that. To me, the most important thing is happiness." Swoopes, 34, is the most recognizable athlete, male or female, to come out in a team sport. Former WNBA player Michele Van Gorp, who played for the Minnesota Lynx, publicly acknowledged she is a lesbian in July 2004. Before Van Gorp, former Liberty player Sue Wicks had been the only member of a female professional team to publicly come out while still playing. Previously, Swoopes has said she plans to continue her career. Former NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo and MLB outfielder Billy Bean made headlines when they revealed they were gay, but both were retired when they made their announcements and neither had a career that comes close to Swoopes. After being named NJCAA Player of the Year while at South Plains Junior College in 1991, Swoopes transferred to Texas Tech and two years later scored a NCAA title game-record 47 points in leading the Lady Raiders to the national championship. Swoopes was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player to go along with her national player of the year award. In 1994 she won gold at the Goodwill Games, and, in 1996, was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning team that became the building block for the WNBA. Since then, she has won two more Olympic gold medals, four WNBA championships and three regular-season MVP accolades, including this past summer. Swoopes, a five-time All-WNBA First Team honoree who was the All-Star MVP this past season, is also the first female athlete to have a shoe named after her, Nike's Air Swoopes. "Some people might say my coming out after just winning the MVP award is heroic, and I understand that," she says. "And I know there are going to be some negative things said, too. But it doesn't change who I am. I can't help who I fall in love with. No one can." In the article, Swoopes goes on to talk about her three-year marriage, her 8-year-old son, Jordan, and life with her partner, former Old Dominion basketball coach Alisa Scott. "Discovering I'm gay just sort of happened much later in life," Swoopes says. "Being intimate with [Alisa] or any other woman never entered my mind. At the same time, I'm a firm believer that when you fall in love with somebody, you can't control that." The news could be particularly perplexing for the WNBA, which has struggled to both recognize the homosexual element connected to its league and grow its fan base. Ironically, in its infancy, the WNBA marketed a pregnant, married Swoopes to put a heterosexual face on its promotional campaign. Now the league, which will play its 10th season next summer, has to decide what to do now that one of its best and most recognizable players has announced she's gay. "The talk about the WNBA being full of lesbians is not true," Swoopes says. "There are as many straight women in the league as there are gay. What really irritates me is when people talk about football, baseball and the NBA, you don't hear all of this talk about the gay guys playing. But when you talk about the WNBA, then it becomes an issue. Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court." Guess Piazza is off the hook for a little while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Someone in the WNBA is gay? GET OUT OF TOWN! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wood Report post Posted October 26, 2005 is there a reason that anybody is supposed to care about this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 "High profile" and "WNBA" shouldn't be used in the same story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Black Lushus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 true, but plenty of folks have heard of Swoopes so she can be considered high profile... lord god, please don't let Diana Taurasi come out of the closet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 ^ I would somewht agree with that statement. Even if wnba is the pits, Cheryl Swoopes is a relatively known name in sports. Anyways, good for her. It must really suck ass to have to hide shit like that for how many years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Looks like we have our first "high profile" gay athlete Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Former NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo and MLB outfielder Billy Bean made headlines when they revealed they were gay As the public goes "HUH?!?!? Oh, without an e." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carnival 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 lord god, please don't let Diana Taurasi come out of the closet! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Are you saying that cuz you want her, or you hate her? Wasn't swoopes pregnant like a couple years ago? It could have been artificial but that wasn't ever mentioned, and I don't follow WNBA close enough to remember if she had a "daddy" around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Black Lushus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 i'd love to pump my sperm into Diana's vagina and/or mouth... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Stevie Wonder could bust on her forehead and not miss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carnival 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 i'd love to pump my sperm into Diana's vagina and/or mouth... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See, thats what I'm saying, but everyone I know thinks she is the ugliest beast ever. So I didn't know there was anyone out there, besides me that actually thought she was good looking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cabbageboy 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 When I saw this thread I thought it was going to be Kordell Stewart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 lord god, please don't let Diana Taurasi come out of the closet!Wasn't swoopes pregnant like a couple years ago? It could have been artificial but that wasn't ever mentioned, and I don't follow WNBA close enough to remember if she had a "daddy" around.Yes, she was pregnant almost nine years ago; her son Jordan was born during the league's inaugural season. Apparently, she went to significant lengths to hide her sexuality, as she was married to "her baby daddy" for nearly four years. And Lushus, AFAIK, Tarausi is straight; in fact, I seem to recall some rumors about her and UConn coach Geno Auriemma... I've always thought that Geno was kinda pimp, anyways... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Diana Taurasi and Rebecca Lobo? Pump indeed... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 More like Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Sorry, I guess sharp-nose and long-face wiped out my memory of the good looking one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Someone in the WNBA is gay? GET OUT OF TOWN! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Next thing you know you'll tell me the only shafts some on the LPGA grip are on golf clubs... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celtic Guardian 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 true, but plenty of folks have heard of Swoopes so she can be considered high profile... lord god, please don't let Diana Taurasi come out of the closet! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As the article noted, first high profile gay "team" athlete. Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King both were high profile gay athletes in a primarily individual sport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celtic Guardian 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Someone in the WNBA is gay? GET OUT OF TOWN! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Next thing you know you'll tell me the only shafts some on the LPGA grip are on golf clubs... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Percentage-wise, a paying WNBA fan is more likely to be gay than a WNBA player. The WNBA has been trying to downplay the whole gay subtext and market itself as "family-friendly" (as in hetero families only) mostly without success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 When I was stationed in Bremerton, I went to a few Storm games; I thought that the whole thing was mostly hyperbole, until attending those games... I'd never seen so many openly gay people in one place. A couple sitting in front of me were actually making out during some of the time outs; made me uncomfortable. :: sighs :: But, I love the WNBA, so what're you gonna do? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Black Lushus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 i'd love to pump my sperm into Diana's vagina and/or mouth... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See, thats what I'm saying, but everyone I know thinks she is the ugliest beast ever. So I didn't know there was anyone out there, besides me that actually thought she was good looking. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> she's no goddess, but she's pretty cute, especially coming out of THAT league... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geniusMoment 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Diana is hideous. I would never consider dating or fucking her, it would be like fucking a man. I think you all just came out of the closet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 One admission down, one to go, Lushus... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Diana isn't bad looking, I'm just afraid of her nose impaling me at some point Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> haha. oh man. u no i'm funnin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Seconded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Fishyswa Report post Posted October 26, 2005 She said in the interview there's just as many straight players as gay players. You do the math. Makes me wonder why they don't do a battle of the sexual orientations though.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2005 Is Diana that chick in those 8 o'clock coffee commericals?... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
