WNBA Honors First Three Signees For Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month and the WNBA has honored its first three signees for it. The League took to Twitter to highlight Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Rebecca Lobo.
“This #WomensHistoryMonth, we honor the first three players to sign with the #WNBA!,” the league tweeted with an old photo of Swoopes, Leslie, and Lobo.
This #WomensHistoryMonth, we honor the first three players to sign with the #WNBA! pic.twitter.com/e7nMXSn3H9
— WNBA (@WNBA) March 1, 2020
Swoopes, Leslie, and Lobos signed with the WNBA during its 1997 inaugural season. Sheryl Swoopes signed with the Houston Comets, becoming the first player in the league to record a triple-double during the regular season and playoffs. Swoopes, a three-time Olympic gold medal-winner also became the first WNBA player to have a Nike shoe, “Air Swoopes” created in her honor.
30 Sep 2000: Sheryl Swoopes of the USA celebrates during the Womens Basketball Gold Medal match at the Sydney SuperDome on day 15 of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport
The Los Angeles Sparks signed Leslie during the league’s inaugural season. Leslie made history in 2002 as the first WNBA player to score over 3,000 total career points. Leslie also became the first woman to dunk during a WNBA game. Leslie and Swoopes both are also listed as the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Top 20 Players of All Time. In addition to that, Leslie is a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – NOVEMBER 01: Lisa Leslie speaks at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Induction Ceremony on November 1, 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images for USOPC)
In 1997, Lobo signed with the New York Liberty. In 2010, the former center was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Lobo Leslie and Swoopes were all players on the 1996 Gold Medal-winning USA Basketball Women’s National Team during the Olympics.
SPRINGFIELD, MA – SEPTEMBER 08: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017 enshrinee Rebecca Lobo speaks during the 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on September 8, 2017 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
