On the historic 50th anniversary of the CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes was in attendance to offer her support.
The former three-time WNBA MVP spoke with us about the historic milestone and the importance of her continued support for women’s basketball.
“I’m so excited to be here celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Women’s CIAA [Basketball] Tournament,” said Swoopes. “For me, it’s always about giving back. I think so many times, especially with it being HBCUs, that a lot of these players get overlooked. For me, it’s important that I come out and show my support for HBCUs. You’re talking about 50 years, what an accomplishment. The game has grown tremendously, we’re headed in the right direction. I’m just excited that I get an opportunity to continue to be a part of the game that has given me so much.”
An HBCU basketball player has been selected in two of the last three WNBA Drafts, including former Jackson State center Angel Jackson, who was taken by the Las Vegas Aces with the final pick of the 2024 draft.
In addition, former Savannah State standout and Nigerian Olympian Ezinne Kalu became the first HBCU player to enter a WNBA game since 2008.
“It doesn’t really matter where you go or where you come from,” said Swoopes, giving words of encouragement to HBCU basketball players. “If you’re good, they will find you, you deserve the recognition just like everyone else. I started [playing basketball] at the age of seven years old, and I see my younger self in a lot of these young women playing. That’s why it’s so important for me to be here.”
