"She gotta little swag" - Sheryl Swoopes names under-the-radar selection for 2024 WNBA MIP

Sheryl Swoopes recently made a surprising case for an under-the-radar Most Improved Player of the Year candidate. The Houston Comets legend spoke with Jordan Robinson on their Queens of the Court show, where Swoopes made her shocking statement.

After stating that her MVP vote would go to A'ja Wilson, Swoopes mentioned New York Liberty's star guard, Sabrina Ionescu, as her 2024 MIP candidate.

"Sabrina [Ionescu] is the most improved player. To Me," Swoopes said. "She's become more consistent. And not only is she shooting the three, she's attacking the basket, she's developed her little floater. Her floater game is on point. 17 rebounds? Seven assists?

Moreover, she highlighted that Ionescu is making more defensive effort while playing with greater confidence.

"I'm not saying she's Defensive Player of the Year, not even close. But she's actually playing some defense. Like better defense that I've seen her play in previous seasons. There's something about, she got a little swagger right now, but her confidence level is off the charts," she added.

As impressive as she's been this season, Sabrina Ionescu hasn't been mentioned as a Most Improved Player of the Year candidate. After taking the Liberty to the 2023 WNBA Finals alongside Breanna Stewart, the former Oregon standout established herself as a star in the league.

That said, when looking at her numbers, she's posting career-highs in minutes (33.4), points per game (19.9), field goals attempted (16.1) and field goals made (6.9). Beyond the numbers, however, Swoopes credited Ionescu's improvement to her effort rather than her stats.

Unlike Sheryl Swoopes, Sabrina Ionescu is considered an MVP candidate by several people

Sabrina Ionescu carries the Liberty when Breanna Stewart doesn't play or has bad games. Ionescu even made a clutch 3-pointer and a game-sealing block to beat the Connecticut Sun before the All-Star break, proving she's on a different level this season.

The Liberty became the first team to clinch a spot in the 2024 WNBA playoffs after beating the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday behind Ionescu's 23 points. This was a big win as the Aces beat New York in the 2023 Finals.

Ionescu leads the Liberty in points and assists, which has prompted fans and analysts to label her an MVP candidate. But, according to Sheryl Swoopes, she deserves a different award.