Sheryl Swoopes to play in exhibition game

Nine months after being waived by the Seattle Storm and a summer of not getting picked up by another WNBA team, Sheryl Swoopes will resurface on the court—in Montana.

The basketball legend will play in an exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 8 in Missoula against the University of Montana women’s basketball team for Northwest Sports, a traveling team run by Idol Sports and Entertainment.

Northwest Sports plays exhibition games against colleges but the Montana game will be the only one with Swoopes on the squad.

She last appeared in Missoula as a player in 1993 during West region play of the NCAA Tournament.

“Sheryl is one of the premier players in women’s basketball history,” said Lady Griz coach Robin Selvig, who was part of the huge crowds at Dahlberg Arena for the 1993 regional games. “She was so much fun to watch. She could beat her opponent in so many ways, yet she was always under control. The thought that comes to mind is that she was just smooth.”

Swoopes attended a Storm game at the end of the season and made a few other public appearances including serving as the master of ceremonies for Seattle Counseling Service’s Gala Oct. 18.

She was the first player signed by the now defunct Houston Comets during the WNBA’s inaugural season in the Initial Player Allocation draft. She won four championships with the Comets. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a three-time WNBA MVP and the first three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Related:

• University of Montana announcement
• Idol Sports & Entertainment
• Storm waives Swoopes (Seattle Storm blog)