Jewell Loyd knew this moment would come. Still, walking into Climate Pledge Arena wearing an opposing uniform brought a flood of emotions. For the first time in her WNBA career, the longtime Storm star was on the visitor’s side — and her former home crowd made sure she felt appreciated.
Back in Seattle as a member of the Las Vegas Aces, Jewell Loyd received a standing ovation during pregame introductions and was honored with a tribute video before tipoff. The moment was a nod to her 10-year run with the Storm, where she became a two-time champion and climbed to third on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
“The fans have always been really great here,” Loyd said after the game. “You spend 10 years somewhere, you build a lot of relationships. So it was nice to see my family out there as well. My dad came. It’s cool.”
While Loyd tried to keep her focus on the court, the moment wasn’t lost on her. She greatly appreciated the reception Storm fans gave her, a strong display of mutual respect between a former star and the fanbase that supported her for much of her career.
“I really tried to focus on the game as much as possible and not get too emotional here or there,” she said. “But I appreciate it.”
Her return came just months after a turbulent offseason, which included a formal complaint she filed against Seattle’s coaching staff and a subsequent trade request. The Storm retained Quinn as head coach after an investigation found no violations, and ultimately sent Loyd to Las Vegas as part of a three-team deal that brought back the No. 2 overall draft pick from the Los Angeles Sparks — used to select French center Dominique Malonga.
Early Fire Fizzles as Seattle Storm Take Control
Loyd started hot, scoring the Aces’ first nine points on a trio of early buckets, including two three-pointers. But Seattle’s defense quickly adjusted. Gabby Williams, tasked with defending her former teammate, locked in and helped cool Loyd off. After hitting four of her first five attempts, Loyd missed her final 10 shots and was held to 14 points — just two of which came after the first quarter.
On the other end, the Storm delivered one of their most dominant performances in recent memory. Seattle put up 34 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, lighting up the Aces for a 102–82 win while shooting 60% from the field and dishing out 32 assists on 42 made field goals.
“We showed what we’re capable of,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said. “The focus was on us. We know who we’re playing, but we wanted to stay locked into our identity.”
12 POINTS FOR JEWELL LOYD‼️
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The Storm had four players record least 10 points and five assists — Williams, Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, and Erica Wheeler. Ogwumike led the way with 23 points and became just the 11th player in league history to reach 3,000 career rebounds. Wheeler added 21 points off the bench, her highest total in four years. Diggins added 10 points and eight assists, while Williams chipped in 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Malonga, the 19-year-old rookie, also showed flashes of why the Storm selected her so high. She added eight points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.
“I thought Dom was excellent in her minutes,” Quinn said.
A Rough Night for the Las Vegas Aces
The Aces, now 2–2 on the season, are having their worst open to a season since 2021, had no answers defensively. Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon called the team’s performance “undisciplined” and criticized breakdowns on both ends. Including a blowout loss against the reigning champion New York Liberty, the Aces face a significant need for improvement before reaching the next level.
“The effort wasn’t there, the discipline wasn’t there,” Hammon said. “We’re breaking our own rules. Until the system is ran correctly, it’s really hard to make adjustments because you don’t know if Plan A is going to work.”
It’s all love 🧡
The Seattle Storm gave Jewell Loyd a warm welcome back to the Emerald City! pic.twitter.com/YDzGmunw8y
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 25, 2025
Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson was held to 15 points and faced double teams throughout the night. The Aces briefly narrowed the margin in the third quarter, but a quick response from Seattle put the game out of reach again.
“It sucks,” Wilson said. “Honestly, I wanted to win for Jewell and everyone else that came out and supported us, but it’s a part of the game. We’re going to go back and try it again. We’re going to go out there and hopefully have a better showing.”
A Chapter Closes for Jewell Loyd, Another Begins
The result wasn’t what Loyd had hoped for, but her legacy in Seattle was unmistakably present. Outside the arena, a mural still features Loyd alongside Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart — a reminder of the championships and memories forged in the Emerald City.
“She’s part of this franchise’s history forever,” said Storm general manager Talisa Rhea. “Jewell was a big reason for our success for so many years, and that won’t change.”
Alysha Clark, who played alongside Loyd during the Storm’s 2018 and 2020 title runs and returned to Seattle this season, summed it up simply: “A champion.” However, Loyd is motivated to make the next decade an even greater success, both on and off the court.
“If you just look at the 10 years of anyone’s career, obviously mine, I think it says that I’ve done a lot of great things on the court,” Loyd said. “I think the biggest impact is probably off-the-court things I’ve done. … Now I’m thinking the next 10 years of my life in general are going to be some of the best years so far.”
Loyd and the Aces will get another shot at the Storm next Sunday, back in Seattle. But for now, the night belonged to the franchise she helped build — and the new generation eager to carry it forward.
