Editorial: Sheryl Swoopes’ coming-out party

Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

In an odd off-court play last week, Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes told ESPN The Magazine that she is a lesbian and also the new celebrity spokeswoman for Olivia, a cruise line dedicated to lesbian travelers.

Voted the WNBA's Most Valuable Player last month, Swoopes told the magazine that she is "tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not."

The mother of an 8-year-old son, Swoopes divorced in 1999. She has since started a long-term relationship with a woman who used to coach basketball at Old Dominion.

It has been 24 years since a lawsuit revealed that former professional tennis player Billie Jean King had a lesbian affair. But it seems such revelations shouldn't be newsworthy today.

Swoopes said she is disturbed that "when people talk about football, baseball and the NBA you don't hear all of this talk about the gay guys playing." But it seemed hardly any of us were talking about her sexuality until she brought it up -- likely to place her endorsement of Olivia in context.

Truth is, the vast number of sports fans couldn't care less about Swoopes' love life. They just want to see her jump shot.