Longtime Seattle Storm player requests trade

Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd has played in Seattle since entering the WNBA in 2015, but she might make a location change soon. The Chicago Sun-Times' Annie Costabile reported Wednesday that Loyd requested a trade from the Storm.

The alleged requested trade comes after the Storm conducted an external investigation into allegations of the coaching staff bullying and/or harrassing players. The investigation did not discover any violations.

Loyd was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015 and is a two-time WNBA Champion with Seattle. She won the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award in 2015 and was named an All-Star in 2018, 2019 and from 2021-2024.

Jewell Loyd has requested a trade out of Seattle, multiple sources told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. https://t.co/FDQBzwoOdy
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) December 5, 2024

Loyd was reportedly the center of the investigation into the bullying and harassment allegations, and according to Costabile, her future in Seattle depended on relationships in the organization being mended.

Seattle re-signed Loyd to a two-year supermax deal last September and the extension influenced Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike to sign with the Storm. Both women noted that playing with Loyd was a huge reason they signed in Seattle.

The Storm went 25-15 in 2024, getting swept by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. Now, with Loyd requesting a trade, the Storm may go through a roster overhaul that could include losing key pieces in the WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries. Additionally, six Storm players will become free agents in January.

The Storm may look very different when the WNBA season tips off in May.