If Jewel Loyd retired tomorrow, she would be a prime candidate for the Hall of Fame. She has put together a basketball resume that is as impressive as anybody’s. And believe it or not, Loyd may have plenty of time to continue to improve over the next 10-12 years. She’s only 30 years old and in the prime of her career. Looking at her high school, college and W years, she was the epitome of consistency…of A model of consistency.
SLAM 252 featuring Jewell Loyd is out now.
Before Jewel fell in love with basketball, her world revolved around tennis. Her brother, Jarrid, played basketball, which introduced her to the sport, but tennis was her forte and her destiny to go pro. As a child growing up in Lincolnwood, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, she played tennis “six hours a day, every day,” she says. And if she’d stuck with tennis instead of basketball, there’s a good chance she’d be playing at the same U.S. Open that we headed to after shooting the SLAM cover in our offices on a cool, sunny September morning.
But one day something happened in the park that changed her perspective forever.
As a child, Lloyd would always play in the park — “after she’d finished her homework, of course,” she would add. But on this day, when she was about seven years old, two older boys wouldn’t let her play on the basketball court. Jarryd, who was about 15 at the time, saw what was going on and offered a solution. We will play you in court. So the game began. 2 vs 2. First to 10 points wins. It was the first time Jewel and Jarrid had teamed up.
With the game in the balance, the boys double-teamed Jewell, who was inches away from committing a turnover, leaving Jarryd completely free near the basket. Spit it out, spit it out! Jewel recalls her brother saying:
She dramatically threw the ball over her head, towards the hoop, where Jarryd caught it and won the match. [had] “I saw my brother dunk for the first time and we won. I knew at that moment that basketball was what I wanted to do,” Jewell said.
Over the next few years, she made a name for herself at local parks, and in many ways, this shaped the way she approached the game.
“You start off at Drake Park, which is a 21-man knockout court, kind of a beginner court. Then you go to Columbia Park and play three-on-three. Then, once you’ve got a team, you go to Proessel Park and play five-on-five for varsity. So you have to work your way up.”
“Growing up at Lincolnwood was a privilege,” she continues, “Being in that environment allowed me to be my true self, and also being one of four or five girls playing with boys challenged me in a lot of ways. It was a great experience for me.”
By high school, Lloyd had developed into one of the best players in the country, a four-year starter at Niles West High School in Skokie where he broke virtually every school record while posting career averages of 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.2 blocks.
During high school, Jewel had the opportunity to become a practice player for the Chicago Sky. Jewel says this experience really helped her understand her potential. She had a front row seat to what it takes to play at the highest level. “Seeing their routine, their lifestyle and the game up close really opened my eyes. Wow, I really think I can do this.” she says.
She committed to play at Notre Dame, joining an already-stuffed roster led by All-American guard Skylar Diggins. It didn’t take Jewel long to adjust to high-major basketball. She was ready from the start. She knew she wouldn’t be the strongest or most athletic freshman, so she focused on what she could control.
“My body is still growing and developing, and I knew I wasn’t going to be the strongest right away, so I focused on keeping myself in shape,” she says. “When I got to college, I made sure I was in the best shape possible, and that hasn’t changed since I graduated and turned pro.”
At Notre Dame, Lloyd went down in history as one of the school’s all-time greats, being named a two-time All-American, two-time All-ACC, two-time ACC All-Defensive, two-time NCAA All-Tournament and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2015. And, for goodness’ sake, he was also the 2013 Big East Freshman of the Year (before Notre Dame moved to the ACC during his sophomore year).
She accomplished all of this in just three years and, in an unpopular move in women’s basketball circles, decided to forgo her senior year to enter the 2015 WNBA Draft, and as everyone predicted, the Seattle Storm drafted her with the first pick.
Lloyd came to the W with high expectations, not only because she was a dominant force in high school, but also because she was nicknamed the “Gold Mamba” by the late Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant himself. Meeting expectations is tough. But if anyone could shoulder that burden, it was Lloyd. She took those high expectations head on. It’s extremely difficult for a No. 1 draft pick to meet expectations, but she exceeded them.
“Throughout [my rookie] “This year it was all about figuring out who I was and having the belief that I could do something and that I could stay in the league and be a part of the league and help grow the league. I really thought I could,” she says.
“I’m the type of person who, if I really believe I can do something, it’s probably going to happen. I’ve always been that way, even from a young age. I’ve never been afraid to say what I want to do, believe in it and write it down. And I don’t dream small. I always dream big. And that’s something no one can ever take away from me.”
The Gold Mamba has the exact same personality as his namesake: naturally talented, hard-working and willing to do things most people wouldn’t, but the similarities don’t end there: Like Kobe, Jewel has an insatiable desire to learn.
“It’s so great to continue to learn and hone your game as a professional athlete. For me, the best thing about the game is that I’m still learning so much,” she says. “That’s the best thing about life in general – you’re always learning and improving. You don’t know until you make a mistake, but you learn from it. A lot of people get to the next level because they’re afraid to make mistakes, but you need to make mistakes. You need a lot of experiences to grow and get better.”
Now it’s Lloyd’s turn to give back. As she continues to learn and thank those who paved her way, she understands the importance of mentorship and is now in a position to coach the next generation of basketball players. She has been spotted working out with University of Southern California star JuJu Watkins. She is very supportive of Seattle Storm rookie Nika Muhl and the talented 2024 recruiting class, and is always available to her younger peers for wisdom and advice.
“I know I’m here because people helped me. I didn’t get here on my own,” she says. “Without my family, without the people around me, I don’t know if I would have been able to get to the next level.”
Her accolades are legion: two-time WNBA champion, six-time All-Star (and 2023 All-Star Game MVP), three-time All-WNBA selection, 2015 Rookie of the Year, and two-time Olympic gold medalist, most recently at the Paris Olympics this August. And, given the circumstances, all of those accolades, except for Rookie of the Year, should of course be considered “and counting.”
The 2023 WNBA season was a contract year for Loyd, and she played to her full potential, averaging a career-high 24.7 points (also best in the league that season) and 4.7 rebounds, but the Seattle Storm struggled as a team, finishing the season with a disappointing 11-29 record.
Instead of leaving the team to team up with other all-stars, she signed a contract extension with the Storm in the offseason, betting on herself that other players would be interested in joining her in Seattle to build a championship-contender team. Seattle appeared to be heading for a rebuild, but elite players Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith joined the team.
As of this writing, Lloyd is averaging 20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. More importantly, the Seattle Storm are clinching a playoff spot and looking to make a deep run. They may not be the favorites to win it all, but it’s safe to say no one is looking forward to playing them.
Lloyd isn’t a pushy personality, but rather has a quiet confidence that comes through her presence rather than her words. She demands attention in her games, but she doesn’t demand it. She’s not usually the loudest voice in the room, but when she does speak, you want to listen. She has a wealth of knowledge and insight, making her not only an athlete, but one of the most eloquent and thoughtful people you’ll ever meet.
Since her freshman year of high school, Lloyd has been asked what legacy she wants to leave behind, and her answer has always changed. But this time, her answer has nothing to do with the sport she loves, the one that has defined her life for the past 23 years since that day on the playground with her brother.
“I want my legacy to be that I’m a really good person,” she says. “I’m here to serve, and that’s what I want people to understand. As much as I take from the world, I give it back. And you don’t have to take it, but I’m here for you to know that it’s all about love here.”
Portrait by Luke Schleifer.
