Sheryl Swoopes knows how to rebound. The retired WNBA champion, three-time MVP, Olympic gold medalist and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been challenged by both professional and personal experiences, which have taught her to be resilient.

And she is coming to Wrangell to share what she has learned.

Swoopes was one of the first players drafted for the newly formed WNBA in 1997, yet she had to miss the beginning of the first season for the birth of her son. She explained the challenge in a 2024 interview with Michael Haggerty of Houston Public Media, where she wondered, “Can I come back, and not just be where I was, but better?” She led her team, the Houston Comets, to the championship that year and the two years after that. She had her answer.

Swoopes has also become an advocate for expanded access to cancer screenings, having experienced the deaths of family members from cancer.

She will be in Wrangell to share her stories and her skills as part of the WCA Bouncing Back summer program Aug. 2. A full day of activities, mixing sports and art as positive mental and physical health resources for resilience will be available for the whole community.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided a grant to WCA for the Bouncing Back program, as part of a continuing effort to help the community recover from the deadly 2023 landslide.

The day will begin Aug. 2 at the high school gym, with group conversations from 9 to 10 a.m. led by Peter Adams, director of Bouncing Back, including Swoopes and two other basketball stars.

That son she had to miss part of the season for? Jordan Jackson (named after Michael Jordan) won the 2024 NBA G League dunk contest as a Maine Celtic. Chris Chestnut has played for Creighton University and is currently a consultant for the Golden State Warriors.

After the group conversations, the three players will hold a basketball workout from 10 a.m. to noon. The workout, like all the activities of the event, is open to everyone and is free.

Adams said this is an inter-generational event, to include the youth on middle and high school teams as well as “the kid on the playground practicing free throws and the grown-up pickup players. This is a chance to practice and learn from the pros.”

Afternoon sessions turn to local resources for artistic outlets for strength and healing. Native artists Mike Aak’wtaatseen Hoyt and Sandy Churchill will lead workshops from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Nolan Center. Dan Powers will follow with music from 3 to 3:45 p.m.

Swoopes, Jackson and Chestnut will then show a video highlight film at 3:45 p.m., followed by a roundtable Q&A session until 5 p.m., where they will share more stories and experiences of dealing with setbacks, challenges and success. They will also be available for pictures and autographs.

For more information about the program, contact Peter Adams at 913-424-7587 or email ada795@aol.com.