December 5, 2024
Jewell Loyd requests trade from Seattle Storm after investigation into coaching staff ends
The outside investigation cleared Storm head coach Noelle Quinn, assistant coaches
Former WNBA scoring champion Jewell Loyd has requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile and ESPN. The news came after Loyd had filed a complaint against the Storm coaching staff that accused the staff of harassment and bullying during games as well as practices.
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The Storm initiated an outside investigation based on “multiple players’ experiences,” according to the Sun-Times. On Wednesday, the Storm announced that the investigation had concluded and found no violations.
“The Storm recently received internal allegations of potential workplace policy violations,” the team told ESPN in a statement. “The organization retained an outside investigator to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations. The investigation has been completed and there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying.”
Loyd’s complaint was filed against head coach Noelle Quinn and the Storm’s assistant coaches, former WNBA player Ebony Hoffman, former WNBA head coach Pokey Chatman and Perry Huang. Now, she’s ready to move onto another franchise.
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The Storm drafted Loyd in 2015, and she helped the franchise win WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020. (The 2018 title came with Quinn as her teammate.) In 2023, Loyd led the WNBA in scoring at 24.7 points per game, and last season, she ranked sixth at 19.7 points per game. She is a six-time All-Star and won Olympic gold medals with Team USA in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
In 2023, the Storm started to look very different than in Loyd’s early years in Seattle, as star forward Breanna Stewart signed with the New York Liberty and legendary point guard Sue Bird retired. But that September, Loyd signed a two-year extension with the Storm.
“For me, the easiest decision was to still be here,” she told reporters at the time. “It felt right for me on my personal growth and on my on-the-court growth as well.”
In 2024, the Storm signed forward Nneka Ogwumike and guard Skylar Diggins-Smith to star alongside Loyd. The Storm went 25-15 and made the playoffs after not making it the year prior, but Loyd struggled with her efficiency. Her 16.8 shot attempts per game were the second-most she’s averaged in her nine-year career, but her effective field goal percentage (40.8%) was the lowest of her career.
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Loyd is under contract with Seattle for $249,032 in 2025 but will become a free agent in 2026.
The news of Loyd’s trade request broke just days before the expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries to fill out their inaugural roster. The draft will take place on Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN. The new franchise will be able to select one player from each of the other 12 teams and can make trades as part of its selection process.
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