The WNBA All-Star festivities kicked off in style beneath the glass dome of the city’s iconic Artsgarden, where the She’s Got Now Empowerment Luncheon brought together a powerhouse room of trailblazers, mentors and rising stars.
Curated by founder Tomeka B. Holyfield, the event honored people who have redefined what’s possible in their fields including sports agent Ticha Penicheiro and MNIT Coach of the Year Dawn Thornton, Angelia White, founder of Hope Magazine, Robert Shegog, president and CEO of The Indianapolis Recorder, Indiana legend Tamika Catchings and WNBA icon Sheryl Swoopes.
Young girls from across the city, brought by organizations such as the Urban League and The Mind Trust, witnessed history up close as the 2025 Glass Ceiling Breaker Award was presented to none other than Sheryl Swoopes — a woman whose name is etched into every chapter of women’s basketball history.
Holyfield introduced Swoopes with a reverence that allowed the magnitude of her legacy to settle over the audience:
“…This is a PSA: I am absolutely ecstatic and thrilled about where the WNBA is today. I couldn’t be happier for every single player who’s getting what they deserve.”
~ Sheryl Swoopes
Swoopes was the first woman signed to the WNBA, a three-time league MVP, the first woman to have her own signature shoe, an NCAA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, a WNBA champion and a FIBA World Cup gold medalist – a true breaker of barriers.
Swoopes took the stage with the ease of someone who’s been here before, leading first with gratitude. She thanked Holyfield, her sorority sisters and the former league players in the room who helped lay the foundation. It didn’t take long before Swoopes said what only she could say.
“At the beginning of the WNBA, I don’t think any of us imagined we’d see a moment or a movement like this,” Swoopes said. “So let me make one thing clear, especially since we’re here in Indiana, this is a PSA: I am absolutely ecstatic and thrilled about where the WNBA is today. I couldn’t be happier for every single player who’s getting what they deserve.”
After a pregnant pause, Swoopes quipped, “Dang, I wish I could come out of retirement.” The room erupted in laughter and applause.
At a time when debates swirl about Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever and respect for the league’s pioneers, Swoopes left no doubt. The legend herself is not only at peace with where the game stands — she’s proud.
“Where the game is today is a very good place,” Swoopes said.
To close the ceremony, Holyfield shared one more surprise. Starting in 2026, the Glass Ceiling Breaker Award will officially bear Swoopes’ name. It will become The Sheryl Swoopes Glass Ceiling Breaker Award — a fitting tribute to a woman who has shattered more than her share of ceilings.
Tasha Jones is a poet, writer, researcher, and educator whose work explores language as a tool for liberation and resistance. She hosts In the Beginning: The Spoken Word Podcast, the #1 spoken word podcast on Apple and Spotify. Tasha is also the Poems & Parables Literary Journal editor and is currently writing Pyramids. Plantations. Projects. Penitentiaries. You can follow her on social media: @iamtashajones, @itbspokenwordpod, and @poemsandparables.
