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Six-time WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd has requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday.
News of Loyd’s request comes as the Storm also announced the conclusion of an investigation into the franchise for violations of workplace conduct Wednesday. The investigation — which, like Loyd’s trade request, was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times — alleged player mistreatment by the Seattle coaching staff.
The Storm, in a statement to The Athletic, said that upon receiving notice of the complaints, the organization hired outside counsel to investigate the allegations. That investigation is now complete, with no evidence of wrongdoing on behalf of the organization.
Per the Sun-Times, it was Loyd who filed the harassment and bullying complaint.
“The investigation has been completed and there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying,” the Storm’s statement said. “To protect the integrity of the process, and to preserve confidentiality, we chose not to comment while the investigation was ongoing. The Storm will continue to provide a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect.”
Despite the results of the outside investigation, Loyd is asking out of the only WNBA home she has known. Loyd has played for head coach Noelle Quinn for the past three and half seasons in Seattle; assistants Pokey Chatman and Perry Huang have also been with the Storm for at least three seasons each.
The Storm overhauled their roster last offseason, signing Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith in free agency. But neither likely would have joined the franchise if not for Loyd first signing a two-year contract extension toward the end of the 2023 season.
“Without Jewell signing it was going to be impossible to get Skylar and Nneka, because at the end of the day, players want to play with one another,” Quinn told The Athletic last April. “(All of this) doesn’t happen at all if Jewell doesn’t sign.”
Loyd was Seattle’s No. 1 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft and is the last member of the franchise’s two-time title-winning Big 3, which included Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird. Loyd’s relationship with Quinn goes back to when the two were teammates in Seattle, as Quinn played for the franchise from 2016-18.
Loyd established herself as one of the league’s premier guards in Seattle, winning Rookie of the Year, securing a scoring title and making three All-WNBA teams and two U.S. Olympic rosters. But this past season, as the Storm went 25-15, Loyd struggled by her standards. Although she averaged 19.7 points, her 36 percent field goal mark was the lowest of her career and her 3-point percentage (27.4 percent) was her lowest since her rookie season.
Where might Loyd wind up?
Loyd is a native of Illinois and played at Notre Dame, giving her regional ties to both the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. The Sky have no immediate need to trade for a superstar given the early stages of their rebuild, and the Fever are well-stocked at the guard position, provided Kelsey Mitchell returns to Indiana in free agency.
A few Western Conference teams stand out as potential contenders for Loyd’s services. The Golden State Valkyries could use a star as the hub of their roster in their expansion season. In Las Vegas, if Kelsey Plum elects to leave in unrestricted free agency – she is the lone Aces All-Star to hit free agency before signing an extension – Loyd could slot in alongside A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, both of whom, like Loyd, are represented by Klutch Sports. Los Angeles needs a perimeter shot creator to pair with its young frontcourt of Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. Finally, if Diana Taurasi retires, Loyd would be a natural replacement at shooting guard in Phoenix.
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(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
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