Swoopes Tops Leslie in WNBA MVP Voting

Say “Wow.”

That’s what WNBA President Val Ackerman said Thursday, in handing over the WNBA’s most valuable player trophy to Houston’s Sheryl Swoopes.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Houston Comets game, in person or on TV, when I haven’t heard someone say, ‘Wow. Did you see that?’ referring to something Sheryl had done,” Ackerman said.

Swoopes received a $25,000 MVP check--on top of her $72,188 WNBA salary and her $250,000 personal services deal with the NBA--and also was handed the keys to a new car.

In media voting, it was a two-woman race. Swoopes received 38 first-place votes to Spark runner-up Lisa Leslie’s 19. No other player received more than two votes.

Swoopes, the league scoring champion, also earned honors as defensive player of the year.

Swoopes’ teammate, Cynthia Cooper, won the MVP trophy the league’s first two years. Yolanda Griffith of the Sacramento Monarchs won it last summer.

“This is very special to me,” said Swoopes, who has helped the Comets to three consecutive WNBA titles, “and I want to thank all my teammates for all their hard work in every single practice in winning those three championships.”