Loyola fires Sheryl Swoopes after investigating claims of player mistreatment

Sheryl Swoopes said she felt “vindicated” by the result of a 2½-month investigation conducted by Loyola two days after she was let go by the school. This year, 10 of the 12 players who were eligible to play next season either transferred or asked to cut ties with the basketball program.

After their initial findings from the April accusations, the university has made a decision to part ways with the coach.

Loyola Athletic Director Steve Watson issued a terse statement thanking Swoopes for her time with the school’s women’s basketball team and confirming she was no longer the basketball coach.

Loyola said in a statement Sunday that a search for her replacement will begin immediately.

The firing follows months of controversy during Swoopes’ tenure as Loyola’s women’s basketball coach.

Swoopes has been at the private Chicago university for three seasons with a record of 31-62.

“Personally I don’t think she was qualified to coach”, Soane told The Post in April.

“I agree with their decision”, said Cate Soane, who alleged Swoopes verbally mistreated her when she played for Loyola during the 2013-14 season before transferring to Illinois-Chicago.

Late Sunday night, Swoopes’ spokeswoman Kimberly Blackwell released a statement.

“It’s my hope that the student-athletes will be provided a full explanation of what has unfolded”, she said in a statement Tuesday. She led Texas Tech to the 1993 NCAA title and was the first player signed by the WNBA. “In respect of the (July 4) holiday, we plan to have Sheryl’s voice heard at an appropriate time”.

A three-time gold medal victor as a player with the U.S women’s Olympic team and a three-time MVP in the WNBA, Swoopes has been under investigation by the university since this spring. She said that there had been “accusations and false attacks made of my character and coaching”. The school later hired a law firm to assist with the investigation and interviewing of players.