Jewell Loyd had a tremendous career on the Seattle Storm. She was Rookie of the Year in 2015, she was a two-time WNBA Champion in 2018 and 2020, she was a six-time All-Star, and, when her team suddenly evaporated before the 2023 season, she led the entire league in scoring in an effort to buoy them.
I would venture a guess that maybe Jewell Loyd isn’t quite as loved in Seattle as Breanna Stewart or Sue Bird, but 10 years is a long time. The fans and players shared a lot of success. You kind of form bonds that way.
It’s … weird how things ended. To put it simply, the Seattle Storm had drama last season and did not appear to play to their full potential, Loyd especially. That’s not to blame her, but just to say that people were unhappy. At the end of all the unhappiness, Jewell was on her way out in a trade.
One hopes that when she comes back to Seattle with her new team, she’ll be received well. It’s not like Seattle has a history of backlash or whatever, but just that I am not familiar enough with the vibe of Storm fans to know whether or not some of them feel burned.
Oh, well. We’ll find out soon enough.
When does Jewell Loyd first play the Storm in Seattle this season?
I said you’ll find out soon enough. Was I not clear?
The Las Vegas Aces first will be coming to Seattle to play the Storm on Sunday, May 25 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. This game will take place on WNBA League Pass, for some reason. It feels like a bigger deal than what it’s getting treated as.
And we won’t have to wait long for a sequel. They have another game exactly a week away at the exact same start time back in Seattle. Again. Sunday, June 1. And once again, this will be taking place on League Pass.
There are two more games between the two teams, both in Las Vegas. The first takes place at 10:00 p.m. Friday, June 20 on ION, and the second is another Friday, 10:00 p.m. game on ION on Friday, Aug. 8.
If Jewell Loyd returns to her 2023 form, the Aces could absolutely be recharged after a somewhat lackluster, by their standards, 2024. And Seattle, if vibes really are better, have one of the best rosters in the league themselves. These could be compelling contests.
Yay basketball!