When she's not making moves on the basketball court or being a mom, legendary WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes is sounding the alarm for Americans to get the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine.

"I encourage all moms to be vaccinated, and to make sure their partners, parents and children get vaccinated, too," Swoopes, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, told AOL Black Voices.

Swoopes has delivered her message over the past three years as part of the American Lung Association's "Faces of Influenza" campaign. But this year, it has taken on an additional urgency with the presence of the H1N1 virus, which President Barack Obama declared a national state of emergency following the deaths of 1,000 Americans in 46 states.

Each year, seasonal influenza causes an estimated 36,000 deaths and more than 226,000 hospitalizations, according to the American Lung Association. Seasonal influenza vaccinations are important in Swoopes' family because her 12-year-old son Jordan has asthma, which can be complicated by the flu.

"If my son happens to get the flu, it's only going to make his symptoms worse,'' she said. "Just a common cold is tough for him to deal with. I definitely believe that the vaccinations will help. The important thing is for people to go out and get the vaccinations and talk to their doctors or pediatrician about whether their child can have the influenza vaccination. If they can't, parents should just try to do whatever they can to try to prevent it.''

She hopes her voice will help debunk myths and ease concerns about the safety of seasonal influenza vaccinations. "My personal opinion is that it's a myth that your chances of getting the flu are greater if you get vaccinated. Personally, I don't think it's true. That's why every year I'm in line getting my vaccination as soon as it's available.''

An important facet of the "Faces of Influenza" campaign, Swoopes said, is that it gives a face to the cause. "In my case, being an African American female and being a part of the program, I hope other African Americans can relate to me and say, 'Oh, there is Sheryl Swoopes. She's doing it.' Hopefully they will go out and do the same thing."

While not currently signed to a WNBA team, Swoopes is spending the off-season training and looking into new teams, a spokeswoman said. She also serves as coach for a girl's basketball team and makes public appearances.