Quotes from Sheryl Swoopes

Every level that I have ever competed on, I have risen to the top.

I had never made any plans beyond basketball.

I never thought a basketball shoe would be named after a woman, let alone me.

I've accomplished everything a person can accomplish on a basketball court, but I never thought about the future when I was younger. I never made plans for the next stage in my life.

There was the misconception out there that I retired after the 2008 season, but that was never the case. I wasn't done with basketball yet, and I'm still not done.

For me, honestly, it's not about individual accomplishments, individual award. It's about what I've got to do and how I can contribute to the team.

Be positive and work hard. I think it's possible to overcome anything, if you're willing to work at it.

You have to be positive, and I'm not just talking about athletics, this also applies to life.

I have accomplished everything I set out to accomplish when I started playing the sport at 7. And probably even more.

Some people might say my coming out after just winning the MVP award is heroic, and I understand that.

I never really officially retired from the WNBA, I just left the doors open.

Discovering I'm gay just sort of happened much later in life.

Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court.

Being gay has nothing to do with the three gold medals or the three MVPs or the four championships I've won. I'm still the same person. I'm Sheryl.

Dream big work hard.

I don't want to have to hide from the world anymore.

I always believe someone somewhere is working harder than me and that motivates me to work harder, give 100%.

There is nothing I've been through in my life that I regret, or that I would go back and change. I feel like everything that happened - personally and professionally - I went through for a reason, and I learned from those things.

I can't help who I fall in love with. No one can.

As a result of Title IX, and a new generation of parents who want their daughters to have the opportunities they never had, women's sports have arrived.

I never thought a basketball shoe would be named after a woman, let alone me.

You have to be positive, and I'm not just talking about athletics, this also applies to life.

To me, the most important thing is happiness.

I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love.