NFL
By: Nick Andre
The Seattle Storm are heading towards a new chapter in their franchise. After two decades of championship contention, Sue Bird officially retired along with Breanna Stewart signing with the New York Liberty in free agency. The question is what does the future hold for the Storm moving forward? What fans are most excited to see is Jewell Loyd’s new role as the number one option for this franchise.
Many people will recognize Loyd as a stone-cold killer. She’s an elite three-level scorer who can create opportunities for herself and her teammates. Besides displaying a killer crossover, Loyd isn’t a player who’s going to create highlight reels or make fancy plays. When she’s on the floor, she’s strictly business and thrives at being efficient on the floor.
Leadership isn’t unfamiliar territory for Loyd. During her college days at Notre Dame, she set the tone on both ends of the floor as she was a leading factor in the Irish playing in two National Championship games. Also, while playing alongside Bird and Stewart, Loyd was a voice that younger players listened to. The way she carries herself on and off the floor is what allows teammates to gravitate toward her.
“For me, it’s understanding that every year you should be growing. Every year you should be rebuilding yourself in some kind of way.” Loyd stated during Media Day. With Bird and Stewart no longer a part of the franchise, many believe that this is a new rebuilding process for Seattle. The roster is relatively young with multiple players who have little or no playoff experience. The Storm’s roster may not be eye-opening as several other WNBA teams are. However, with Loyd as their leader, anything is possible.
Loyd is a two-time champion as well as a four-time All-Star for a reason. Many can credit the Storm’s last two championships to the Bird and Stewart. However, Loyd was the perfect piece that complemented them both. Offensively, she took the pressure off the two stars due to her shot-creation ability to draw defenses. Most teams couldn’t double Stewart on the high post due to the elite scoring of Loyd. She’s very versatile when it comes to coming off pindown screens while also being elite with the ball in her hands.
Loyd is a career 15.3 point per game scorer on 42 percent shooting. During her previous two seasons, she was able to increase her shot attempts to a combined 14.5 per game. With Stewart no longer the number one option, Loyd’s shot attempts are expected to increase significantly. Head Coach Noelle Quinn is going to continue to set Loyd up for success on offense and allow her to be dynamic.
The Storm roster features returning players like Ezi Magbegor and Mercedes Russell with Loyd. Along with the other young talent, the Storm are excited to see how college star Jordan Horston blends with the team. Also, the Storm have key veterans like Kia Nurse who is returning from an ACL injury. A player of her caliber can play next to Loyd with her versatility on offense. The Storm roster includes four rookies alongside four players with 5+ years of experience.
As of today, the expectation for the Seattle Storm is development. A championship is not on the horizon as it is a new era ahead of them. It’s an opportunity for the team to develop new habits that can help them return to championship form. Jewell Loyd as a leader has big expectations that many believe she will be able to exceed.
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