“No matter how far life pushes you down, no matter how much you hurt, you can always bounce back.”

– Sheryl Swoopes

Sheryl Swoopes was the first person signed to the WNBA when the league began in 1996. She played for the Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa Shock before retiring in 2011. Swoopes is a 4x WNBA champion, 3x WNBA MVP, 6x WNBA All-Star, and was inducted into the Texas and Houston Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. She totaled 4,875 points, 1,596 rebounds, and 1,037 as a shooting guard and small forward. She also won three Olympic gold medals and 2 World Cups with Team USA.

Before the WNBA, Swoopes played college basketball at Texas Tech University. There, she set 30 different records, including the single-game school points record, with 53. She was also a 2x first-team All-American, Naismith College Player of the Year, and the WBCA Player of the Year in her senior season. That same season, Swoopes scored an NCAA record 47 points in the national championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. 

Sheryl Swoopes' quote tells us that every athlete gets knocked down at times. However, it's the best athletes who are able to pull themselves up and bounce back. You are allowed to get discouraged at times, however, don't let it overwhelm you. Let it motivate you.