Sabrina Ionescu a dark horse in MVP race with Napheesa Collier out with injury

DALLAS — Professional athletes need to have a healthy ego, and certainly Sabrina Ionescu has one.

The Liberty star has a way for navigating the trip wires of pride and self-serving achievements. Similar to the traps and double-teams she faces on the court, Ionescu knows where they are and when they come her way.

She refuses to fall victim to her own self-indulgence.

With Napheesa Collier out for the foreseeable future due to a right ankle sprain, the conversation for this year’s MVP has become more intriguing, and Ionescu finds herself as a dark horse in the race.

Head coach Sandy Brondello campaigned for her point guard before Friday’s game against the Wings, saying the four-time All-Star should be “right up there” on the list of candidate.

But being an MVP, for Ionescu, would be more of a byproduct of her real goal this season: to lead the Liberty to a second consecutive WNBA championship.

“That’s the top of everything,” Ionescu told The Post. “Obviously, I know when I’m playing like an MVP, we always have a great chance of winning. Like, when I’m out and doing all the things that I do because, for me, it’s not just scoring, it’s my ability to get assists, to get rebounds, to do the things kind of all around on the ball — not just scoring. And so, I do know when I’m able to dip into all those categories, we’re a tough team to beat.”

The Liberty have been battered with injuries this season.

They’ve played only two games at full strength and have gone significant stretches without former league MVPs Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart.

But Ionescu has been a constant for the Liberty, night in and night out.

She has missed only one game this season in Seattle because of a kink in her neck, although the tightness impacted her play during that June road trip.

Other than that, she’s continued to carry the Liberty, who remain second in the league standings despite all the adversity they’ve been dealt this season.

Ionescu entered Friday ranked fifth in the league in scoring, averaging a career-high 20 points. She’s sixth among guards in rebounds (4.9) and eighth in the league for assists (5.5) while averaging the 11th-most minutes in the league.

She was named Player of the Month for July and has been on a tear since the All-Star break.

But the numbers tell only part of the story for Ionescu, whose impact can’t always be quantified in the box score.

Ionescu has a gravitational pull that can disrupt a defense. Her off-ball movements can open opportunities for teammates.

She can push the ball in transition or throw a 40-foot heave that’s perfectly placed for a teammate across the court.

Ionescu has improved as a defender, too. Some of that is, in part, because she entered this season in the best shape of her life.

“She’s been really impressive for us all season long with whatever we need,” Brondello said. “Obviously, we know that she can score the ball. She has been doing that at a high rate, but her ability to rebound, her ability to create offense for her teammates — yes, she should definitely be in the [MVP] conversation.”

There’s no minimum number of games played for award eligibility as there is in the NBA, though some voters believe players should play in roughly 75 to 80 percent of the regular season to be considered eligible.

This year, that would mean 33 to 35 games.

Collier, who’s played in 26 games, is expected to miss at least two weeks but could be sidelined for longer. Alyssa Thomas, who’s appeared in 25 games, also deserves a place in the MVP conversation.

The case for A’ja Wilson’s fourth MVP, after winning again last year, is marred by the Aces’ rocky play this season.

Ionescu has the chance to raise her MVP stock over the Liberty’s final 15 games of the season — not that she’s worrying about that.

“[I] just kind of try and focus on the things that I can control and being, obviously, the best that I can for this team and getting wins,” Ionescu said. “But obviously, I’d say what I’m most proud of is just how I can continue to get better every year in so many different ways and on both sides of the ball and not really being satisfied with the year I’ve had but continuing to try and do more.

“And that’s something, it’s hard to do and something that I’ve always done in my career is continue to get better. And so I know I’m not even really scratching the surface of the player that I will be when this is all said and done. And so just trying to continue to hold myself to that standard and do whatever it is that the team needs me to win.”