For the second consecutive year, there’s been a mass exodus on the Loyola University Chicago women’s basketball team, and the school has launched an investigation of Coach Sheryl Swoopes, a recent inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, to figure out why.
On Friday night, Loyola announced it was looking into the conduct of the retired WNBA star, who has led the Ramblers since 2013. Ten of the 12 returning players have transferred or requested a release from their scholarships, and five players reportedly transferred after the 2014-15 season, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“Any time there are allegations of student-athlete mistreatment, it is more than concerning,” Jermaine Truax, Loyola’s deputy athletic director, said in the statement. “The welfare of our student-athletes is paramount. Thus, the Loyola University Chicago Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has asked for an independent and comprehensive University investigation into the women’s basketball program.”
The student newspaper, The Phoenix, cited multiple sources alleging that Swoopes crossed the line with the players by interfering with their lives outside of basketball.
“She really pushes them to the point of misery and to the point where they shut down,” a source close to the team said. “A lot of them feel very trapped about who they can talk to in the Athletic Department because regardless of who they choose, it usually gets back to Sheryl . . . and I think when it gets to that point . . . there is no outlet.”
Swoopes was a three-time WNBA MVP. She was hired by Loyola in 2013 with only limited coaching experience, having served as an assistant at Mercer Island (Wash.) High in 2010, according to Loyola’s website. Earlier this month she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
