The Seattle Times (TNS) by Percy Allen
SEATTLE According to a league source, the Storm agreed to Jewell Loyd’s trade demand and are sending the six-time WNBA All-Star to the Las Vegas Aces in a three-team transaction that also returns veteran center Li Yueru and the No. 2 selection in the 2019 draft.
Seattle’s No. 9 pick and former Washington Huskies standout and Aces guard Kelsey Plum are both acquired by the Los Angeles Sparks as part of the trade.
Las Vegas receives the No. 13 selection from L.A. in addition to Loyd.
The trade was initially reported by ESPN.
Her remarkable ten-year run with the Storm, who drafted the former Notre Dame standout No. 1 overall in 2015, comes to an end with the trade of Loyd.
With 5,536 points, Loyd is third in the franchise’s history, behind Lauren Jackson (6,007) and Sue Bird (6,802).
The Big Three period of Storm history, which includes Bird and Breanna Stewart and saw Seattle win WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020, comes to an end with Loyd’s departure.
Following Bird’s retirement in 2022, Stewart quickly joined the New York Liberty through free agency the following year. She was selected third overall and helped the Liberty win their first league championship in October of last year.
Given the events leading up to her leaving and the fact that she is joining one of Seattle’s fiercest rivals, who eliminated the Storm from the playoffs last year with a 2-0 sweep, Loyd’s departure will be difficult for Storm supporters.
Loyd filed a complaint with the team after the season, alleging that the coaching staff had harassed and bullied the players.
In a statement released on December 3, the Storm announced that an independent legal firm they engaged to look into the allegations had found no misconduct.
That following day, Loyd made a trade request, which sparked what may have been the largest transaction in franchise history.
With returning stars Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor, and Gabby Williams, the Storm, who finished fifth in the WNBA with a 25-15 record, will try to resurrect their dreams of winning the championship.
Re-signing All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike has been a top priority for Seattle, which will choose with its highest pick since selecting Stewart first overall in the 2016 draft on April 14.
Vegas On Thursday, August 17, 2023, in Las Vegas, Aces guard Kelsey Plum drives against New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game. (Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus via AP)AP
The Storm are expected to have their pick of great players, including Olivia Miles of Notre Dame, Kiki Iriafen of USC, Azzi Fudd of UConn, and Aneesha Morrow of LSU. Connecticut Huskies star Paige Bueckers is the presumptive first pick in the forthcoming draft.
Additionally, Seattle’s salary cap of $1.5 million to pursue free agents is about $463,000 below that amount. Both Jordan Horston and Nika Muhl, who is anticipated to miss 2025 due to injury, have contracts for the upcoming campaign.
The Seattle Times, 2025. Take a look at seattletimes.com. Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
More sports news