The Seattle Storm and All-Star guard Jewell Loyd came to terms on a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- A five-time All-Star, Loyd broke the WNBA record for total points in a season in 2023, averaging a league-high 24.6 points per game.
- The 2015 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year has won two championships with the Storm.
- Seattle has an 11-28 record entering its final game of the season Sunday, the most losses in franchise history.
- Terms of the deal were not announced by the team.
Building a future with @jewellloyd 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/3B6sNH4EeJ
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 9, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Storm keep a franchise icon in place
Loyd could have been an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason because Seattle already used its core provision on her for her current two-year contract. Instead of testing the market, Loyd decided to recommit to the Storm on a two-year deal. This season was the worst for Seattle since 2015, which ended a seven-year streak of making the postseason, but the Storm put the ball in Loyd’s hands and let her run the show for the first time in her pro career. She’ll be the face of the franchise moving forward. — Merchant
