If there’s one thing that Jewell Loyd has proven over her WNBA career so far, it’s that she can score. She ranks 16th on the all-time scoring list and led the league in scoring in 2023.
That scoring talent hasn’t been on display to start her second season in Las Vegas. Loyd averages just 7.5 points on 35.7% from the field and 32.9% from deep for the season—career lows in points and field-goal percentage. She’s only scored in double digits four times this season and finished five games with five or fewer points.
Playing for the Aces has been a big change for Loyd. With A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young firmly established as the big three, she is not a focal point like she was in Seattle. Moving to the bench really helped her find her groove last season. She’s still coming off the bench, but just not making as many shots.
The Aces were able to deal with Loyd’s slow start when Chennedy Carter could come in a game and score 15 points in under 20 minutes. But Carter has missed five consecutive games with an illness. Without her scoring, Loyd’s lack of production is magnified.
The Aces haven’t gotten much offense out of their bench in June
The Aces average 13.7 bench points for June. That’s dead last in the WNBA, and puts a lot of pressure on Wilson, Gray, and Young to produce night in and night out—especially considering that Stephanie Talbot isn’t giving them much offense in the starting lineup either. She averages just four points.
The Aces’ big three is good enough to make up for a lack of scoring from other players, and NaLyssa Smith is also playing well, so the lack of depth really hasn’t been a huge issue. The Aces are still 7-2 in June, but they really feel Loyd’s struggles, Carter’s absence, and Dana Evans’ injury when their stars are struggling a bit.
Wilson shot 7-18 from the field on her way to “just” 16 points—a respectable output for most players, but underwhelming for A’ja Wilson—in a 87-76 loss to the Liberty last night. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was a bright spot off the bench with 14 points on 5-7 shooting, but with limited production from Smith, Loyd, and Talbot, it wasn’t enough to hold off the Liberty.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Carter is expected to return to the court soon. Hammon said after a win over the Valkyries on the weekend that she hoped to have Carter back for one of their two upcoming games against New York and Dallas. She also shared that Evans is ramping up and could be back on the court in July. Moreover, Loyd still has plenty of time to turn around her season.
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