Jewell Loyd comes clean about desperate plea to agent to get her out of Seattle before blockbuster Las Vegas trade

Jewell Loyd had to navigate a difficult chapter with the Seattle Storm before securing a fresh start with the Las Vegas Aces for the 2025 WNBA season. She went public with her trade request in December 2024, just a month after the Storm began an internal probe into harassment and bullying allegations involving their coaching staff.

Speaking on the May 29 episode of “The Warehouse” podcast, Loyd recounted how the trade unfolded, revealing she gave her agent, Jade-Li English, a clear directive: get her out.

“At the start of everything, I told my agent, like, ‘Just get me out.’ Like I will find a way,” she said. “It can't, physically, mentally, emotionally be worse. Like I guarantee you, I will put my life savings on this. “

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Loyd added that she wanted no involvement in picking teams and asked her agent only to notify her once the deal was done.

“I was like, ‘I don't want to deal with this.’ I'm going to go to Unrivaled. I'm sitting, I'm eating dinner. I get a text like, ‘Hey, you're probably going to go to Vegas in 20 minutes.’ What? She's like, ‘Yeah, you're going to Vegas, probably.’”

“I put the phone down. I'm like, ‘There's no way they're sending me to Vegas — a contender, like playing with A’ja and Chelsea. … There's no way.”

Soon after, a call from A’ja Wilson made it official.

Known for her elite scoring, Loyd averaged 19.7 points per game during the 2024 season. Her arrival in Vegas provided the Aces with a potent replacement for two-time champion guard Kelsey Plum, while bolstering a roster already led by Wilson.

How Jewell Loyd is performing with the Aces

Jewell Loyd was inserted into the starting lineup immediately and has logged major minutes across six games for the 4-2 Aces, who are riding a two-game win streak.

She’s already faced her old team, the Seattle Storm, twice, splitting the games. In their first meeting, Loyd tallied 14 points and three assists in a 102-82 loss, but rebounded with 10 points, seven boards and four assists in a 75-70 win on Sunday.

Her best performance came in the Aces’ second game of the season against the Connecticut Sun, where she poured in 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in an 87-62 victory.

Through six games, Jewell Loyd is averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro