25 Rich Athletes Who Went Broke

by Drea Knufken May 18, 2009, 2:02 pm 405.1k Views

17. Sheryl Swoopes

3-time gold medal Olympian, 3-time MVP for the WNBA, first pro women’s basketball player
Estimated lifetime earnings: $50 Million

Swoopes, the “Michael Jordan of the WNBA,” scored her own Nike deal for the Jordan-inspired “Air Swoopes” brand. Swoopes, a marketing machine, enjoyed a stint as the face of the WNBA, but her fortunes didn’t last. She filed for bankruptcy in 2004, citing mismanagement by her agents and layers. She owed nearly $750,000.

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17. Sheryl Swoopes

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Bjorn Borg Darren McCarty Deuce McAllister Dorothy Hamill Evander Holyfield Jack Clark Johnny Unitas Lawrence Taylor Leon Spinks Raghib "Rocket" Ismael Rollie Fingers Scott Eyre Scott Harrison Sheryl Swoopes toparticles Travis Henry

Written by Drea Knufken

Currently, I create and execute content- and PR strategies for clients, including thought leadership and messaging. I also ghostwrite and produce press releases, white papers, case studies and other collateral.