Storm star Jewell Loyd requests trade; could Valkyries target All-Star guard?
12/05/2024 04:23 PM
Can the Valkyries land the former top pick, six-time All-Star, and two-time champ?
The WNBA offseason trade market got some star power on Wednesday when Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd requested a trade. The news was first reported by Annie Costabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. Loyd has spent her entire 10-year WNBA career with the Storm, and is coming off four consecutive All-Star appearances. However, despite plenty of on-court success, there were growing tensions behind the scenes. Per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Loyd had filed a complaint against the Storm coaching staff surrounding player mistreatment. Her trade request came hours after the Storm released a statement that said an investigation had "no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying."
Loyd's request raises immediate questions about the Storm's future plans. After winning championships in 2018 and 2020, the Storm tried to address the free-agent departure of Breanna Stewart by adding Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike to team up with Loyd. However, Loyd is the youngest of the trio (31) while both Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike are heading into their age-34 seasons.
The Storm finished third in the Western Conference last season, but were swept in a best-of-three first round series by the Las Vegas Aces. After missing the playoffs in 2023, a semifinals exit in 2022, and another first-round exit in 2021, the Storm could be contemplating a broader rebuild following Loyd's trade request.
If that's the case, few teams have the cap space to take on Loyd's roughly $230,000 salary and plenty of future draft picks to trade. Enter the expansion Golden State Valkyries. It may be hard for an expansion team to trade their first-round pick, but since they only have the fifth-overall selection in the upcoming draft, it's easier to envision the Valkyries dangling that pick for a bonafide star, like Loyd.
Loyd is one of the most decorated players in the WNBA. The first-overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft out of Notre Dame, the Chicago native went on to win the 2015 Rookie of the Year and two championships, while being a three-time All-WNBA selection, and a six-time All-Star. This past season, Loyd averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. Her shooting efficiency did dip to a career-worst 36.0% field-goal and 27.4% three-point percentage, but her stellar 88.1% free-throw percentage was right in line with her career average, suggesting her shot is still intact.
