Swoopes Lost for the Season

Sheryl Swoopes sat out most of her rookie year in the WNBA to have a baby. She’ll miss this season because of a damaged knee.

Swoopes, the league’s most valuable player and leading scorer last year, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a preseason workout Monday night. A teammate said Swoopes was driving to the basket when she collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain.

The team said Tuesday that Swoopes will require reconstructive surgery that will sideline her for the season, which begins May 28. The Comets, who have won all four WNBA titles, earlier lost former MVP Cynthia Cooper, who retired to coach the Phoenix Mercury.

“There is no question it will take longer than this season, but we expect her to be back next season,” team physician Walter Lowe said, affirming Swoopes would be out eight to nine months after surgery.

Comet Coach Van Chancellor was choked with emotion when describing his feelings.

“I know how much I felt for her as a person and what she’s going through as a player,” Chancellor said, brushing back tears. “We kind of tricked her into weightlifting and for the first time ever.

“It’s devastating.”

Swoopes, who spent the night at Methodist Hospital, led the WNBA with a scoring average of 20.7 points last season. She also led the league with 2.81 steals and added 3.8 assists, 1.06 blocked shots and had a 50.6% field-goal percentage.

Swoopes, Cooper and teammate Tina Thompson all finished in the top 10 in WNBA scoring last season. Swoopes scored her playoff high of 31 points in a 79-73 victory over the New York Liberty that clinched the Comets’ fourth title.

Swoopes came into the league after leading Texas Tech to a 58-8 record in her career and the NCAA championship in 1993.

Her first season in the WNBA was delayed by the birth of her son, Jordan, on June 25, 1997. Swoopes played in only nine games that year with no starts. She averaged 7.1 points as the Comets won the first WNBA championship.