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Tag: Jewell
Las Vegas Aces Welcome Two-Time WNBA Champion Jewell Loyd in Three-Team Trade
LAS VEGAS (Feb. 1, 2025)—Las Vegas Aces President Nikki Fargas announced today that the team has acquired two-time WNBA champion and 2023 WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd as a free agent.
As part of a three-team trade, the Aces also received the No. 13 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft from Los Angeles. Kelsey Plum, who spent her first eight years in Las Vegas, heads to the Sparks and LA’s Li Yueru was dealt to Seattle. The Sparks received Seattle’s No. 9 pick in the 2025 draft and its second-round pick in 2026, while the Storm picked up LA’s No. 2 pick in this year’s draft and the Aces 2026 first round selection.
“We are thrilled to have Jewell join the Aces family,” said Fargas. “She is a talented player who will be an invaluable addition to our backcourt with her leadership and scoring ability. She is a champion, and we cannot wait to welcome Jewell to Las Vegas as we begin our quest for a third WNBA title.
“I also want to thank Kelsey for everything she’s done for and meant to this franchise. She is a fearsome competitor who was instrumental in Las Vegas winning back-to-back titles, and we wish her nothing but the best as she continues her career in Los Angeles.”
“I’m beyond excited to join the Las Vegas Aces and be part of such a highly driven organization,” said Loyd. “The culture, the energy, and the passion this team plays with is something I’ve always respected. I can’t wait to hit the court alongside this incredible group of players and contribute to the continued success of the Aces!”
The 5-10 guard, who was selected No. 1 by Seattle in the 2015 WNBA Draft, is a six-time WNBA All-Star, earned 2015 WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a three-time All-WNBA honoree. In 2023 she averaged a league-high 24.7 points per game, and owns a 10-year career scoring average of 16.9 ppg. She also has career averages of 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 40.2% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range.
A two-time Olympic and two-time World Cup gold medalist, Loyd aided Seattle to eight playoff appearances, winning the championships in 2018 and 2020. She also helped the Storm capture the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup title.
Heading into the 2025 season, Loyd’s 5,536 career point total ranks No. 21 on the league’s all-time scoring chart.
A three-year standout at the University of Notre Dame, Loyd led the Fighting Irish to three-straight NCAA Final Fours, while also claiming conference regular season and tournament titles all three years. A 2014 and 2015 All-American, Loyd earned 2015 ACC Player of the Year the 2013 Big East Rookie of the Year honors.
The Las Vegas Aces have made a big move in the offseason, welcoming two-time WNBA champion Jewell Loyd in a three-team trade. Loyd, who previously played for the Seattle Storm, brings a wealth of experience and talent to the Aces roster.The trade, which also involved the Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings, saw Loyd join forces with A’ja Wilson, Liz Cambage, and the rest of the Aces squad. With Loyd’s scoring ability, playmaking skills, and championship pedigree, the Aces are poised to be a formidable force in the upcoming WNBA season.
Fans are excited to see Loyd in action alongside her new teammates and are eager to see how she will contribute to the team’s success. With the addition of Loyd, the Aces are looking like serious contenders for the WNBA title. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting season for Las Vegas Aces fans!
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Las Vegas Aces, Jewell Loyd, WNBA Champion, trade, Las Vegas Aces trade, Jewell Loyd trade, WNBA news, basketball trade, Las Vegas Aces roster, Jewell Loyd news, WNBA trade rumors
#Las #Vegas #Aces #TwoTime #WNBA #Champion #Jewell #Loyd #ThreeTeam #TradeThe case for dealing the Sky’s No. 3 pick starts with Satou Sabally and ends with Jewell Loyd
WNBA general managers will have their work cut out for them in free agency this year — some more than others.
In anticipation of a new collective-bargaining agreement, most free agents will be signing one-year deals, limiting GMs’ sales pitches to what they can offer immediately. For the Sky, that means next to nothing.
Aside from first-year coach Tyler Marsh, who is well-regarded around the league because of his work as a player-development coach, GM Jeff Pagliocca is shopping a losing product. What Pagliocca does have is the No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA draft in the spring. If he can leverage it correctly, it might provide a bridge from the Sky’s disastrous season in 2024 back to playoff contention.
Considering that most free agents aren’t going to sign beyond the 2025 season, trading any draft pick — which comes with the security of a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth — has risks. Trading the No. 3 pick, which the Sky could use to select a player such as Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, seems foolish.
The payoff, however, might be substantial.
The WNBA will experience something new when more than 100 players become free agents simultaneously in 2026, including all of the top veterans in the league. Ownership and Pagliocca must make decisions now to prove the Sky are a franchise worth signing with.
The Sky are expected to have a practice facility ready by the start of the 2026 season, which should help them compete with the upper-echelon teams in the league. The catch is that their facility is in partnership with Bedford Park. A portion of it will be shared with the public, unlike those of the Mercury and Aces, who built facilities operated solely by the team.
On Pagliocca’s end, being ready for next year means turning the Sky back into a playoff team now, which brings us back to the possibility of trading the No. 3 pick. The Sky need veteran leadership, a point guard and a legitimate outside scoring threat. While they potentially could find those things without a trade, two players worth packaging the No. 3 pick for are Wings forward Satou Sabally and Storm guard Jewell Loyd.
There is an understanding around the league that Sabally will be on the move after the Wings make her a core player this weekend, when GMs can begin sending out qualifying offers and core tags. What’s unclear is where she’ll end up. The Sky’s chances of landing Sabally are slim, but the No. 3 pick opens the door to a potential conversation with Wings GM Curt Miller.
The Fever are the most intriguing prospective landing spot for Sabally, considering the lineup they already have in place. If the Fever’s front office is able to re-sign guard Kelsey Mitchell and secure Sabally, the team would become a title contender overnight.
Another possibility for Sabally might be joining her sister, Nyara, with the Liberty.
Landing Loyd also would be an uphill battle for Pagliocca. Last year, the Niles West graduate told the Sun-Times: ‘‘[The Sky] are just one step away. Just one step. And the thing is, you want to root for them.’’
Loyd’s past lack of interest in the Sky was a result of a lack of investment by their ownership. Getting her to consider them now will require ownership to prove it is committed to being a top-tier franchise.
If the Sky can do that, Pagliocca has a shot of putting together a deal that brings Loyd back to Chicago. But it would leave him without the No. 3 pick.
Unrivaled co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart didn’t plan for Unrivaled’s debut to coincide with WNBA CBA negotiations, but they using the timing to their advantage.
By Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier’s standards, the league is already a success because of its impact on the women’s basketball “ecosystem.”
Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca could have included Carter when making qualifying offers to guard Dana Evans and forwards Michaela Onyenwere and Nikolina Milić. His decision not to make those offers simultaneously points to a willingness to part with Carter.
The case for dealing the Sky’s No. 3 pick starts with Satou Sabally and ends with Jewell LoydThe Chicago Sky’s No. 3 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft is a valuable asset that could be used to make a significant impact on the team’s roster. One potential trade target that has been circulating in rumors is Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally.
Sabally, a versatile and skilled player, would be a great addition to the Sky’s lineup. She could provide much-needed depth and scoring options for the team, especially with her ability to play multiple positions and stretch the floor with her shooting.
However, acquiring Sabally would likely require the Sky to part ways with their top pick. While it may be a tough decision to give up such a high draft selection, the opportunity to add a player of Sabally’s caliber could be well worth it in the long run.
Furthermore, the trade could also involve another valuable player coming to the Sky, such as Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd. Loyd, a proven scorer and playmaker, would give the Sky a boost in the backcourt and could help lead the team to greater success in the upcoming season.
In the end, making a deal for Sabally and potentially Loyd could be the move that propels the Sky to championship contention. It may be a risky move, but the potential payoff could be well worth it for a team looking to make a splash in the league.
Tags:
- NBA draft
- Satou Sabally
- Jewell Loyd
- Sky’s No. 3 pick
- WNBA
- Chicago Sky
- Basketball draft
- Top draft picks
- Sabally and Loyd
- WNBA prospects
#case #dealing #Skys #pick #starts #Satou #Sabally #ends #Jewell #Loyd
WNBA: Where will the Seattle Storm trade Jewell Loyd?
Last year, the Seattle Storm arguably won the offseason. Even as the team would finish the 2023 WNBA season with an 11-29 record, the franchise’s fewest wins since 2015, Jewell Loyd signed a two-year extension in September 2023. Then, unrestricted free agents Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith inked one- and two-year deals, respectively, during the 2024 free agency period.
Seattle’s reward for their smart maneuvering, however, was zero playoff wins.
A Storm team on the verge of “superteam” status finished an unremarkable 25-15 and summarily was swept in the first round of the playoffs. Additionally, an investigation into the coaching staff, due to alleged mistreatment of players, occurred after the season. Although no wrongdoing was substantiated, Loyd requested a trade soon thereafter, looking the leave the only WNBA franchise she has ever known a little more than a year after signing an extension. Ogwumike also has the opportunity to depart the Pacific Northwest after a single season, as she is an unrestricted free agent.
If last offseason saw Seattle sail through seemingly clear skies, this one promises a stormier process. Yet, as last year showed, offseason wins aren’t everything. Even if Seattle has to navigate less-than-ideal circumstances this offseason, that doesn’t mean the team is slated for an unpleasant 2025.
Here’s where the Storm stand entering free agency, as well as a consideration of the three big questions facing the team:
Facts and figures*
Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)
- Skylar Diggins-Smith (protected veteran; $214,466)
- Jordan Horston (unprotected; $76,630)
- Jewell Loyd (protected veteran; $249,032)
- Ezi Magebegor (protected veteran; $186,000)
- Nika Mühl (unprotected; $68,595)
Free agent (type; 2024 salary)
- Joyner Holmes (unrestricted; $61,380)
- Nneka Ogwumike (unrestricted; $204,500)
- Mercedes Russell (unrestricted; $160,000)
- Victoria Vivians (unrestricted; 76,535)
- Sami Whitcomb (unrestricted; $140,000)
- Gabby Williams (unrestricted; $23,491)
Total salary of free agents: $665,906
Total team salary: $794,723
Cap space: $712,377
Unsigned draftees (2025 salary)
- Mackenzie Holmes ($65,438)
2025 WNBA Draft picks (2025 salary)
- Round 1, No. 9 ($72,455)
- Round 2, No. 21 ($69,267)
- Round 3, No. 29 ($66,079)
- Round 3, No. 34 ($66,079)
1. What’s the move with Jewell?
When speaking at an Unrivaled press conference, Jewell Loyd declined to answer inquiries about her WNBA future. However, the No. 1 pick by the Storm in the 2015 WNBA Draft who has won two titles with the team has given no indication that she has withdrawn her trade request. And no swirling rumors have suggested that Loyd has a target destination.
From the organization’s perspective, Loyd being open to going to several different teams, thus sparking a bidding war, would be preferred, allowing Seattle to maximize their return for the superstar guard. Quite possibly, the Storm could extract a package similar to what the Chicago Sky received in exchange for Kahleah Copper last offseason, which included the No. 3 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. A lottery pick in the forthcoming draft, along with a serviceable player or two, should be what Seattle seeks.
2. Are Nneka and Gabby sticking around?
With the CBA expiring after this season, Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, is likely to sign another one-year contract. And it would be surprising if she did it somewhere besides Seattle. Based on outside knowledge, it seems Ogwumike was unbothered by the team’s in-season turmoil, with reporting suggesting she had a strong relationship with the coaching staff and fellow imported co-star Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Seattle could not use the core designation to make sure Ogwumike stays in Seattle, as her core eligibility was exhausted during her time with the Los Angeles Sparks. Instead, the team cored Gabby Williams.
The decision is a bit surprising as, noted by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Alexa Philippou, as Williams made not being cored a precondition when choosing which team to sign with for the final stretch of the 2024 season, as she did not play in the WNBA before leading France to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Yet, ESPN further reported that, “Williams and her representatives were not surprised by Seattle’s decision to use the core designation on her and have been working closely with the Storm on determining her next steps.”
Although not a trade request, it appears the prospect of Williams returning to Seattle is far from guaranteed. It is also possible she may again choose to not participate in the WNBA, or at least not for a full season. Currently starring for Fenerbahçe in EuroLeague Women, Williams could choose to focus on preparing for and playing in EuroBasket Women with France, which will run from June 18-29.
3. Can Seattle address lack of depth?
In 2024, Seattle failed to reach “superteam” status not because of their stars, but because of unreliable depth.
Over the course of the season, the team outscored opponents by more the five points per 36 minutes whenever one of the Storm’s season-long core—Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith, Loyd and Ezi Magbegor—was on the floor. When Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith or Loyd were off the court, the team had a negative point differential. Equipping the presumed returning core of Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith, Magbegor and maybe Williams with a better supporting cast should be one of the organization’s top priorities. Possibly, the players received in the return for Loyd will help Seattle build a more reliable bench.
Instead of re-signing Mercedes Russell, whose effectiveness as a backup big is muted by the significant time Ogwumike and Magebegor will spend on the court, her salary slot could be allocated to fill a greater positional need, ideally a scoring wing. Someone like Tiffany Hayes, the 2024 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year with the Las Vegas Aces, would be a great fit, either as a starter or reserve. Plundering the Minnesota Lynx of Natisha Hiedeman and/or Myisha Hines-Allen could be an option, as well as Shatori Walker-Kimbrough from the Washington Mystics; all three of those players are unrestricted free agents.
As she did last season, Ogwumike could also take less than her maximum salary to try to help Seattle field a roster with stronger depth. Or, to help the team replace Loyd. An interesting name on that front would be the Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell.
*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all roster information and salary numbers.
The Seattle Storm have been making headlines recently with trade rumors surrounding star guard Jewell Loyd. With the WNBA offseason in full swing, many teams are eyeing Loyd as a potential trade target.Loyd, a two-time WNBA All-Star, has been a key player for the Storm since being drafted first overall in 2015. However, with the team looking to make some changes this offseason, it seems like Loyd could be on the move.
So where will the Seattle Storm trade Jewell Loyd? Some potential destinations include the Los Angeles Sparks, who are in need of a scoring guard to complement their frontcourt talent, or the New York Liberty, who are looking to add more veteran leadership to their young roster.
No matter where Loyd ends up, it’s clear that she will be a valuable asset to any team lucky enough to acquire her. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Tags:
WNBA, Seattle Storm, Jewell Loyd, trade rumors, WNBA trade news, Seattle Storm trade rumors, Jewell Loyd trade talks, WNBA trade speculation
#WNBA #Seattle #Storm #trade #Jewell #Loyd
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