Sheryl Swoopes' Net Worth: WNBA Superstar's Financial Slam Dunk

By Jocelyn Alano August 30, 2024 05:31

Photo by Getty Images

Sheryl Swoopes is a women's basketball legend. One of the sport's original pioneers, she became one of the few female sports' true crossover stars with her involvement in founding the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), paving the way for others to follow. A natural hooper and a player who intertwined scoring excellence with defensive prowess, she was known to be able to make those around her better on both ends of the floor. Her influence in the game goes deeper and has undoubtedly helped shaped what we know women's pro basketball as today. While Swoopes has made a major impact on the field, her financial journey includes successes and obstacles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sheryl Swoopes (@airswoopes22)

Career Earnings

Sheryl Swoopes turned pro on May 14, 1997, when the Houston Comets signed her during the inaugural season of the WNBA. In her 11-year career, she played for the Comets, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa Shock. Swoopes made a handsome salary during her time, but nothing compared to what players make today. In her prime, she was one of the highest-paid players in the league, with salaries that grew to around $100,000 annually.

Even during Swoopes' career, the WNBA's salary cap spurred a much lower gross earning relative to male NBA players. The only difference was that Swoopes was being paid six figures while other NBA players of a lesser caliber at the time were getting million-dollar salaries. Today, the best players can make over $200,000 a year in base salary plus bonuses for jobs well done and lucrative foreign contracts.

Endorsements and Sponsorships

Probably the most critical piece of Swoopes' financial profile was her endorsements. Notably, she was the first female athlete to be honored with a Nike shoe as they released "Air Swoopes" in her name. The deal, which earned her millions of dollars at the very least, also represented a trail-blazing moment in women's sports and female athletes' market worth.

Swoopes and Nike also worked together on a few other brands, which could add to her dollars. Such endorsements helped her make a little more money over and above what she earned as an average WNBA player, further diversifying the income stream that most athletes need while playing sports and after finishing their careers.

Investments

After retirement, Swoopes dabbled in several business and investment pursuits. Despite this, she had to navigate some financial obstacles along the way. In 2004, Swoopes went bankrupt, citing failed investments and bad advice over the years as shellacking him in his time post-basketball.

Nevertheless, since these roadblocks, Swoopes has worked to get her financial life back on track. She transitioned to coaching and basketball-focused positions, including a head coach role at Loyola University Chicago and a skybox suite development manager for Texas Tech women's basketball. In addition to providing a steady income post-retirement, these roles connected her to the sport.

Net Worth Estimation

The net worth of Sheryl Swoopes is 300,000 dollars, and some sources even estimate it to be that low. Those earnings encompass her old endorsement money, financial problems, and comeback efforts. Though this net worth might be nowhere near many of her modern men's basketball counterparts, it demonstrates the long suffered money problems male and female athletes have had for far too long.

Throughout her career, Sheryl Swoopes' financial journey is a testament to how she used resilience and adaptability to survive. Her story touches on the larger conversations about financial literacy and resources within the overall structure of professional sports, especially regarding women athletes.

Her experience highlights the necessity for younger generations of athletes to receive sound financial education and structural reform across sports to provide equal opportunity and remuneration. The advancements in women's sports are unstoppable, and Swoopes' name is sure to encourage new generations to carve out a presence on the court with her skill and financial peace of mind off it.