All-Star Jewell Loyd asks Storm for trade, Seattle investigation finds no wrongdoing: source

Six-time WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd has requested a trade from the Seattle Storm, a league source confirmed The Sporty on Wednesday.

News of Loyd’s request comes as Storm also announced Wednesday the conclusion of an investigation into the franchise into workplace conduct violations. The investigation – which, like Loyd’s trade request, was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times – involved mistreatment of players by Seattle’s coaching staff.

The Storm said in a statement The athletesaid that after receiving the complaints, the organization hired outside counsel to investigate the allegations. This investigation is now complete and there is no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the organization.

According to the Sun-Times, it was Loyd who filed the harassment and bullying complaint.

“The investigation is complete and no evidence of policy violations or discrimination, harassment or bullying was found,” the Storm said in its statement. “To protect the integrity of the process and maintain confidentiality, we have chosen not to comment while the investigation is ongoing. The Storm will continue to provide a work environment where all people are treated with respect.”

Despite the results of the outside investigation, Loyd asks to get out of the only WNBA house she knew. Loyd has played for head coach Noelle Quinn for the past three and a half seasons; Assistants Pokey Chatman and Perry Huang have also each been with the Storm for at least three seasons.

The Storm overhauled their roster last offseason, signing Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith in free agency. But neither likely would have joined the franchise if Loyd hadn’t first signed a two-year contract extension toward the end of the 2023 season.

“Without signing Jewell, it would have been impossible to bring in Skylar and Nneka because at the end of the day, players want to play with each other,” Quinn said The athlete last April. “(None of this) won’t happen at all if Jewell doesn’t sign.”

Loyd was Seattle’s No. 1 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft and is the last remaining member of the franchise’s two-time title-winning Big 3, which also included Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird. Loyd’s relationship with Quinn dates back to when the two were teammates in Seattle when Quinn played for the franchise from 2016 to 2018.

Loyd established himself as one of the league’s best guards in Seattle, winning Rookie of the Year honors, securing a scoring title and making three All-WNBA teams and two U.S. Olympic squads. But last season, when the Storm went 25-15, Loyd struggled by their standards. Although she averaged 19.7 points, her field goal percentage of 36 percent was the lowest of her career and her 3-point percentage (27.4 percent) was the lowest since her rookie season.

Where could Loyd end up?

Loyd is an Illinois native who played at Notre Dame, giving her regional ties to both the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. The Sky have no immediate need to trade for a superstar given the early stages of their rebuild, and the Fever are well-stocked at the guard position assuming Kelsey Mitchell returns to Indiana in free agency.

Some Western Conference teams are considered potential contenders for Loyd’s services. The Golden State Valkyries could use a star as the focal point of their roster in their expansion season. In Las Vegas, if Kelsey Plum decides to leave the team in unrestricted free agency — she is the only Aces All-Star to opt for free agency before signing a contract extension — Loyd could be on the sidelines A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, both of whom would like to play Loyd, are represented by Klutch Sports. Los Angeles needs a perimeter shot creator to work with its young frontcourt of Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. When Diana Taurasi eventually retires, Loyd would be a natural replacement at shooting guard in Phoenix.

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(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)