Former Coach Picks Up Swoopes' Board

So ESPN has the "first-person" narrative from Sheryl Swoopes announcing that she's a lesbian — or, as YAYSports! put it, "Sheryl Swoopes Is Admitting To Hot Lesbian Action" — and it's a good read. The most fascinating part is how Swoopes made the transition from mother going through a divorce to all-out lesbian. Fittingly enough for the three-time MVP, the relationship started from a rebound.

My partner [and former assistant coach], Alisa Scott, was probably the best friend I had when I was going through the tough times in my marriage. She would ask, "Have you guys tried marriage counseling? Have you done everything you can possibly do to save your marriage?" ... The thought of being intimate with her or any other woman never entered my mind. But I'm also a firm believer that when you fall in love with somebody, you can't control that. Whether it's another woman. Whether it's another man. Whatever.

So, for the record, lesbianism is not a huge part of the culture of the WNBA. Ahem. The saddest part of the story is when Swoopes tells her mother she's gay, who responses with a derisive, "I figured." Again, though, nothing to do with the league.

Swoopes Comes Out, In Her Words [ESPN]

(By the way, that photo is from an old swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. Seems prescient now.)