Jewell Loyd’s transition from the Seattle Storm to the Las Vegas Aces was anything but smooth. For a while, Loyd looked nothing like the superstar scorer fans had gotten used to seeing in Seattle—a shortcoming that contributed significantly to the Aces’ early-season struggles.
Moving Loyd to the bench and starting Kierstan Bell in her place changed things for the Aces. They started to look more like a title contender and eventually closed out the regular season on a 16-game win streak. However, Loyd never played better this season than in the finals, and her performances down the stretch more than made up for her slow start with the Aces. It also made the Aces’ big offseason trade that essentially traded Kelsey Plum for Loyd look much better than it did initially.
When the Aces got off to a slow start, it seemed like the trade had been a mistake, a big swing that didn’t pay off. Now that the Aces won another title in part due to Loyd’s contributions, that narrative has changed.
Loyd put together big performances in the finals
Loyd had some unimpressive games early in the playoffs. She scored only four points in Game 3 against the Storm and only reached double-digit points in one of five games against the Fever. In the finals, Loyd came out firing. She scored 18 points in Game 1 and, alongside Dana Evans, helped the Aces secure an important first win.
Game 2 wasn’t the greatest outing, as Loyd only scored nine points on 3-7 shooting. Even then, she was huge on the boards, though, grabbing five defensive and two offensive rebounds. She also recorded three steals and two blocks and finished the game with a plus/minus of 21. After that, Loyd scored 28 points in the last two games and grabbed 11 total rebounds.
A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young were the story of the finals for the Aces. Wilson, the Finals MVP, averaged 24 points and 10.8 rebounds over the four games against Phoenix. Young ranked second in scoring with 18 points per game. She also averaged 8.3 assists. Chelsea Gray also filled her role well, contributing 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
It was no surprise to see the Aces’ big three deliver in the finals. They are a battle-tested core that knows how to win together. It took Loyd some time, but she emerged as the team’s true fourth star in the finals. She was the Aces’ fourth-leading scorer with 12 points and pitched in the fourth-most total rebounds and the third-most steals.
Loyd is a three-time champion now
Jewell Loyd may not have been a part of the Aces’ first two championships in 2022 and 2023, but she had a successful run in Seattle. Together with Breanna Stewart, Natasha Howard, and Sue Bird, Loyd led the Seattle Storm to a title in 2018. Two years later, the same core won another championship together. Since the Aces managed to sweep the Mercury, Loyd is still undefeated in her three trips to the finals.
Despite her early struggles, Loyd evidently feels at him with the Aces. After Game 4, she told reporters, “I was kind of written off and in exile, but I ended up in the promised land.”