2025 hasn’t been an easy season for the Aces. The team is not nearly as successful as it was for the last few seasons. Las Vegas currently sits in seventh place with a 15-14 record and will have to battle to find any playoff success.
Several factors contributed to the Aces’ struggles this season. They lack high-level frontcourt production, defense, and spacing around A’ja Wilson, struggled to put in the necessary effort game after game, and some of the new additions didn’t click right away. Jewell Loyd, for example, didn’t look like herself in an Aces uniform before a much-needed lineup change.
Moving Loyd to the bench seems to have solved the latter issue.
Jewell Loyd has played well since coming off the bench
Becky Hammon first moved Jewell Loyd to the bench in a 106-80 win over the Dallas Wings, a decision the former Seattle Storm star was completely on board with. Kierstan Bell took Loyd’s starting spot and lived up to the challenge. She scored 19 points, even though it was just her second start of her career. Loyd finished the game with 20 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal in 19 minutes.
While Bell has slowed down significantly since her first start, Loyd has consistently been solid in her new role. Her eight-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks wasn’t particularly inspiring, but she quickly bounced back, dropping 12 points in a brutal loss to Minnesota and 27 points in a 101-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries.
Her performance against the Valkyries marks a season high. It was the fifth time Loyd hit the 20-point mark this season, but the first time she exceeded 25 points. For reverence, she scored 25 or more points ten times last season with the Storm.
The Aces still have some issues to sort out, but getting improved production out of Loyd, who looks much more aggressive off the bench, is a major win.
Loyd hasn’t come off the bench in years
Jewell Loyd is in her eleventh WNBA season now. She is a multi-time All-Star, two-time champion, and the 2023 WNBA scoring leader. Loyd is a star and not someone who is used to coming off the bench. Over her career, she has played 355 regular-season games. She started 334 of them. The last time Loyd came off the bench was in 2019, when she only started 21 of the 27 games she appeared in.
The fact that Loyd was willing to give up her starting spot with the Aces, knowing that a young player would take it, shows her selflessness and team-first mentality.