The polls are closed for 2023 WNBA All-Star voting, and the game’s starters will be announced Sunday. From there, the WNBA’s 12 head coaches will select the 12 reserves, and the two top vote-getters will serve as captains and draft their respective All-Star teams on July 8.

For the first part of the process, media members were tasked with selecting four guards and four forwards/centers on their ballots. Whoever receives the most votes will start in the All-Star Game on July 15 in Las Vegas.

Here’s how I voted.

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Jackie Young has been one of the best players on a star-studded Aces team. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Guards

Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Young took home the Most Improved Player award last season, and so far this year, she’s been even better. Las Vegas is bursting with talent, but Young has often been the best player on the court for her team and has turned herself into one of the best guards in the league. The Notre Dame product is averaging 21 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She’s shooting 50% from beyond the arc, making 2.3 3-pointers per contest, and has also been aggressive on the attack and in transition.

Young has been consistent in her play since she opened the season with 23 points in a win over Seattle. Of all the guards, she was the easiest All-Star selection for me.

Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

The Storm may be struggling, but Loyd certainly isn’t. She’s leading the WNBA with 26.2 points per game and leading Seattle with 3.7 assists per game. The 29-year-old guard is a prolific shot creator, and without Breanna Stewart in Seattle this season, she’s taken on a bigger scoring role. Last year, Loyd was one of the league’s top guards, averaging 16.3 points per game. This year, she’s increased that number by 10 points. So far, Loyd has recorded four 30-plus point games, including a career-high 39 in a 109-103 win over Dallas on June 17.

Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces

Last season’s Finals MVP is picking up right where she left off. The Aces rank first in the league in scoring, and their offense starts with Gray. She leads the team and is third among all WNBA players with 6.3 assists per game. Gray can also create shots for herself, averaging 13.6 points per game. Of all those qualities, it’s the veteran’s efficient scoring that makes her stand out to me. Gray is making 51.8% of her 2-point shots, 51.2% of her 3-point shots and 92.3% of her free-throw attempts.

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

After playing her first six seasons with the Dallas Wings, Gray is wasting no time establishing herself with the Dream. The guard is averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, all of which are career-high marks. Gray is also an excellent on-ball defender, meaning she impacts nearly every aspect of the game for Atlanta.

Gray is aggressive when both driving to the rim and attacking the glass. She’s the third-best rebounder among guards in the WNBA and has recorded two double-doubles this season. This is the best season of Gray’s career, and she is certainly worthy of making her first All-Star appearance.

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Brittney Griner was playing at an All-Star level until she got hurt on June 13. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Forwards/centers

Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

I expected Griner to take some time getting reacclimated to the WNBA after she returned home in December from wrongful detainment in Russia, but that was not the case. She opened the season with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field and four blocked shots. Since then, the Mercury center has been consistent on both ends of the floor. She’s averaging 20.1 points per game, which is sixth in the league, and 2.5 blocks per game, which is first.

Until getting injured in an 83-69 loss to Seattle on June 13, when she played just nine minutes and scored two points, Griner had scored at least 18 points in every appearance.

Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

Connecticut coach Stepahnie White calls Thomas the “most underrated superstar in the WNBA.” While Thomas may fly under the radar, her impact on the court cannot be overstated.

Thomas does everything for the Sun. She averages 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.1 steals per contest, leaving her just two assists shy of averaging a triple-double for the season. She recorded the fifth triple-double of her career on June 20, with 15 rebounds, 13 points and 12 assists in an 85-79 win over the Storm. Thomas is also efficient with her decision-making, averaging just three turnovers per contest.

Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings

Injuries plagued Sabally in the first few seasons of her career, but now the Oregon product is healthy and playing her best basketball. Sabally is a versatile scorer who, at 6-foot-4, can get points from inside or outside, off a post-up or off the dribble. She’s averaging 20 points (up from 11.3 last season), 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Sabally is one of just three players in the WNBA averaging a double-double on the season. The forward should be a shoe-in All-Star selection.

Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks have battled injuries so far this season, but with different lineups nearly every night, Ogwumike has been the consistent bright spot. In her 12th season in the WNBA, Ogwumike is averaging a career-best 19.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, nearing a double-double. She is also averaging a career-high 3.6 assists per game, showing off her ability to read defenses and find open shooters. Ogwumike also has six double-doubles so far this season.

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

The reigning WNBA MVP has continued her dominance for the Aces, leading her team to a league leading 11-1 record so far. Wilson has led her team in either points or rebounds in 10 of those 12 games. She’s averaging 18.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest, while also making a difference on the defensive end with 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

Wilson has been held to single-digit scoring just once this season, with eight in a win over Minnesota on June 18. But in that game, she proved her ability to impact the Aces in multiple ways, recording season-highs in rebounds (14) and blocks (four).

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

It’s taking the WNBA’s newest superteam time to develop chemistry, but through the growing pains, Stewart has been one of the league’s best players. In her first home game for the Liberty, Stewart recorded a double-double with 45 points and 12 rebounds, setting a new franchise record. She’s averaging a team-high 23.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals per game, while also dishing out four assists per game. Stewart is second in the WNBA in scoring and first in rebounding.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

In her first game back at Climate Pledge Arena since leaving the Seattle Storm for the New York Liberty, Breanna Stewart dealt with a deluge of emotions.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster of a day for me,” Stewart said after the game, earning her a supportive pat on the back from Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello.

Competing with a black eye she picked up over the weekend, Stewart struggled in the first half of Tuesday night’s game, scoring eight points.

“In the first half, I was just floating. I don’t think I was really doing anything,” she said.

The two-time WNBA Finals MVP gave herself a halftime pep talk to help turn things around: “I was like, ‘C’mon, let’s get my s— together.”

Stewart went on to record 25 points and 11 rebounds in New York’s 86-78 win, handing her old team its third straight loss to start the season.

In doing so, Stewart became just the second WNBA player to record at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a first game against a former team, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The other WNBA player to achieve the feat was Chamique Holdsclaw, who scored 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Los Angeles Sparks against the Washington Mystics in 2005.

Sabrina Ionescu added 20 points in the win, while Courtney Vandersloot contributed 11 assists.

For the Storm, Jewell Loyd recorded 26 points, while Ezi Magbegor added 12 and recorded a career-high 14 rebounds.

“So weird to play against Jewell. We really haven’t done it since college,” Stewart said of her former WNBA teammate. “We still had the competitors in us, but also very light-hearted. Like, at one point, I slapped her in the face, and it was like, you know, we were in practice. I wish her and Ezi and (Mercedes Russell) the rest of them nothing but success.”

Earlier this month, Stewart made some Storm fans a little salty when she told a packed crowd at Barclays Center that she “made the right decision” in choosing the Liberty. But the former Storm star received a warm welcome at Climate Pledge Arena. After the game, she also got a hug from retired teammate Sue Bird, who had a front row seat to Tuesday night’s game.

Stewart isn’t the only player on the Liberty facing down a former team this week. On Saturday, New York defeated Jonquel Jones’ old team, the Connecticut Sun. On Friday, New York will tip off against the Chicago Sky, Vandersloot’s former team.

“We were joking in the locker room about it being a revenge tour,” Ionescu said.

When Coinbase became the official crypto platform of the WNBA last October, most teams and athletes had a lot to learn about the company’s products and services. Coinbase partnered with the WNBA Players Association to provide draft invitees with financial training and open accounts for all 144 players in an effort to bring crypto to the fingertips of women and fans across the country.

For Jewell Loyd, the landscape wasn’t new. The Seattle Storm guard and four-time WNBA All-Star has been active in the crypto economy for years.

“Investments in other things like real estate along with crypto is something I’ve been doing since around 2013 with my brother,” Loyd said.

Loyd is not your typical 28-year-old investor. While growing up in Illinois, Loyd learned about the stock market from her grandfather and other mentors, and she received a crash course on the economy through a program at her middle school.

“They taught us how to apply for jobs, how to pay taxes, what taxes are. You even had to pay for your desk. Everything you would have to pay for in real life, you had to pay for in school,” she recalled.

“They were teaching us how to save money. You could pick up two or three jobs, just to see how real-life works. At the end of the year, you would say ‘How come I only have 20 bucks? How come this person had a dollar? How come this person has $500?’ They basically broke things down, what it means to make a dollar and how to invest.”

At Niles West High School, where Loyd scored over 3,000 points as a four-year starter on the basketball team, she also took investment classes. She and a partner would be tasked with checking the market online, trading stocks and explaining their investment choices to the class.

“It was engraved in us in school,” she said.

So, when Coinbase signed on as a partner of the WNBA in 2021, Loyd jumped at the opportunity to be an ambassador and take part of her salary in crypto.

While Loyd is at the forefront of using her platform to set an example in crypto investing, fans may be yearning to learn more about the service from more of their favorite WNBA superstars.

A peer-to-peer financial system, crypto allows individuals to exchange funds directly through the internet, loosening many of the restrictions of traditional finance and banking systems. Now you can buy, sell, trade and stake your assets with just a few clicks.

Loyd, who plays both overseas and in the U.S. like many WNBA players, is a fan of the financial freedom crypto offers her.

“If I go into a bank, I want to open an account, and there’s all this paperwork and stuff to do. And then if you take this specific money out, you get fined. What? It’s my money,” Loyd said. “Now, I go on Coinbase, I get my money out. It shouldn’t be that complicated to get your money. You have so many loopholes with certain banks. In my mind, that doesn’t make sense.

“It’s freedom, understanding and probably a little bit of love. I feel I get all three of those things using crypto.”

Loyd feels fortunate that she had a background in investing when she entered the WNBA in 2015 as Seattle’s first overall draft pick. She remembers sitting through a meeting on draft day, when a league rep walked the players through their retirement funds but didn’t spend much time teaching them how to invest.

She’s sensed a different mentality in the year since the WNBA partnered with Coinbase, as more players take initiative with their long-term financial strategy. Loyd’s former Storm teammate, Sue Bird, has been one of the leading voices of other products and services crypto has to offer. Through Coinbase, investors can not only buy and sell cryptocurrencies, but they can also exchange NFTs and store crypto in their own personal wallets, among other things.

“I think with this last year,” Loyd said, “people are trying to learn and understand this since this is the way things are going and people don’t want to be passed by.”

“We think the future of money is here with crypto,” said Jessica Williams, Coinbase’s Director of Brand Partnerships & Experiential. “Coinbase will continue to focus on our suite of products and platform, which are all tools that currently over 100M people use daily to buy, sell and manage crypto.”

Loyd has found confidence in crypto through experience. She’s hopeful that even more WNBA players will get there, too, now that the league and teams like Seattle are offering educational programs and tools to participate.

“As you’re investing, you’re also learning,” she said. “Being educated in what you’re investing in helps a lot and I want to see more, whether it’s the rookies coming in and getting a quick Coinbase lesson from the start. As rookies, we only learned about the investments of retirement.”

In recent months, the rapid rise of cryptocurrency has led to economic volatility and skepticism among the public. Loyd doesn’t see this as an issue, but rather a chance for her to help usher in a new financial tool and leave a permanent mark on the global market.

“I think a lot of people, especially women, are nervous about it. They don’t know what it is,” Loyd said. “For me, I’ve gone into meetings and people ask, ‘Oh, you know about crypto?’ Yeah, I’m a woman and an athlete and I know about crypto. It’s a cool thing for women to understand what it is, to sit in these seats in sports leagues and have another edge to them. Not just, ‘I’m here because they put me here,’ but ‘I can talk the language and know what’s going on.’”

For Loyd, whose own financial background is rooted in family and community, crypto is about more than monetary gains. It’s also a source of equality and other values she believes in at her core.

“Coinbase is meant for everybody. It’s hard to find something in the world that’s for everybody,” Loyd said. “Having the ability to teach this, to help people understand this, you are educating them, but also giving them something they can use for the rest of their lives. That’s impactful to me. This world isn’t equal, but this allows money, understanding and finances to be equal.”

Daniel Newton is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports.

The WNBA has officially entered the wide world of cryptocurrency. The league joined forces with Coinbase in October, making the company the league’s exclusive cryptocurrency platform partner.

As part of the partnership, all 144 members of the WNBA Players’ Association will receive Coinbase accounts and crypto funds to become more familiar with the space. The partnership also features educational sessions on crypto and NFTs for the players.

The WNBA is no stranger to the marketplace, having partnered with Top Shot last summer to release NFTs featuring the league’s top moments and players. In May, the New York Liberty became the first team in WNBA history to launch an NFT with their digital nail art series.

The league and its teams aren’t the only ones getting in on the action, either. Here are five WNBA players who have taken advantage of the crypto and NFT marketplace.

Jewell Loyd

A longtime student of financial investing, Loyd has been active in the cryptocurrency market since 2013. So, when the WNBA and Coinbase teamed up ahead of this season, the Seattle Storm star was eager to become a brand ambassador for the company.

“Coming into the league, I was steps ahead of most people ahead because I was lucky to have a good background,” Loyd recently told Just Women’s Sports. “I understood the fundamentals and had a good foundation. The moment I got into the league and got my first check, it was let’s invest this. Let’s save this, put it somewhere and strategize.”

Loyd announced the partnership officially on Instagram in May, posting a piece of digital art by artist Yasmin Shima with the caption: “It’s time to secure the W in crypto. I’m proud to be a part of team Coinbase.”

In addition to her personal investments, Loyd has long been a vocal supporter of the crypto economy. The four-time All-Star was a part of Front Office Sports’ Learning Crypto in Sports Essentials course, where she discussed athletes’ connections with and adoption of cryptocurrency in the sports industry.

Through the league’s partnership with Coinbase, the 28-year-old is hopeful that her fellow WNBA players will learn about all of the financial opportunities the crypto market has to offer.

“It’s finally a language everyone can speak,” Loyd said. “It’s something you can teach anybody who has access to this. Not everyone can go to a bank and get a credit line. It’s easier for somebody to open a Coinbase account and start using it that day.”

Sue Bird

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(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle Storm veteran Sue Bird was one of the first WNBA players to develop her own digital art, headlining a group of athletes represented by the Wasserman sports agency. “The Collective Series,” a collection of non-fungible token trading cards, was released in May 2021 to Zora, a crypto collectibles marketplace.

Los Angeles-based artist Lauren Nipper brought the trading card renderings to life.

“Typically, athletes are bound by union and league restrictions, so the nature of NFTs in allowing women athletes, in this instance, to have full autonomy and agency over their own name and likeness in the crypto realm is a really unique opportunity,” Circe Wallace, Wasserman’s EVP of action and Olympic sports, said ahead of the release.

“The Collective Series” also included NFTs from USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, X Games skateboarder and gold medalist Mariah Duran, Paralympian Scout Bassett and several other WNBA athletes.

In May, ahead of her final season in the WNBA, Bird also became a brand ambassador for Coinbase. Announcing the partnership on social media, she wrote, “Here’s to the new era for women in crypto.” As a part of her deal, Bird will develop NFTs that will be available on Coinbase NFT.

The four-time champion has helped spearhead the WNBA’s crypto movement before she officially walks away from the game at the end of this season, her 19th in the league.

Sabrina Ionescu

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(Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu has been at the forefront of culture, business and basketball since making her WNBA debut in 2020. So, it’s no surprise that Ionescu has been one of the first WNBA athletes to get involved in the NFT marketplace.

In May, the 24-year-old joined forces with Autograph, an NFT platform co-founded by NFL legend Tom Brady, for the “The Future is…” Collection. The series features Ionescu and four other young athletes who are changing their sport: Devin Booker, Coco Gauff, Justin Herbert and Collin Morikawa.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the next era of digital collecting and the Web3 world alongside so many other amazing athletes,” Ionescu said in a press release. “I want to make sure the next generation knows that there’s a place for them in Web3, and Autograph is helping to pave the way.”

Ionescu selected Los Angeles-based illustrator and designer Kelly Malka as her collection artist for the NFT series.

“I was so honored to hear that Sabrina Ionescu picked me! I really admire her and her work ethic, she’s really paving the way for the new generation of young female athletes, and I’m excited to be a small part of her journey,” Malka said.

Elena Delle Donne

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(Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Elena Delle Donne of the Washington to Mystics is also on the cutting edge of NFTs, partnering with the popular SODA: Society of Degenerate Apes in January. The WNBA star has two unique SODAs made in her image, adding to an NFT she already owns from the collection.

“So excited to officially have my own 1/1 (Derivative Apes) loved the first one I bought but this just takes it over the top,” Delle Donne tweeted as part of the announcement earlier this year.

Delle Donne has gotten involved in the crypto space as well. She and her wife, Amanda, share a Coinbase Wallet in an effort to learn as much as they can about the wide world of Web3 before diving in headfirst.

Aari McDonald

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(Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

As Aari McDonald led Arizona to the NCAA championship game in 2021, her national profile and WNBA Draft stock soared, culminating in the Atlanta Dream selecting her with the No. 3 pick in that year’s draft. Like Collier, McDonald’s draft night is commemorated with an NFT as part of Wasserman’s collection.

“To go top 3 in the draft and hear my name called was a dream come true. All of my hard work and sacrifice paid off and I am glad that so many of my loved ones got to be in the moment with me,” reads McDonald’s NFT, emblazoned with neon accents.

All three WNBA players in the collection opted for an auction sale, according to Queen Ballers Club. A year after the initial release, Bird’s highest bid is roughly equivalent to $300, Charli Collier’s is close to $100, and McDonald’s is near $35, with the platform allowing users to trade and resell their digital art.

Clare Brennan is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Jewell Loyd has set a precedent against the Mystics.

She’s been dominant in each of the Storm’s three regular-season meetings with Washington this year, scoring 22 points in their final matchup on 6-for-8 shooting from the 3-point line.

But in Thursday’s first-round playoff game, Washington seemed to have her figured out.

With Seattle down five points with 4:52 to play, Loyd had yet to make a field goal. The guard had four points, making two free throws in the first quarter and two more in the third, but her usual scoring acumen was absent.

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Loyd matched up against Washington's Natasha Cloud for most of the game Thursday night. (Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)

Lest people forget Loyd’s experience level, the guard reminded the public and her teammates of it after the Storm’s 86-83 win over the Mystics in Game 1 of the first round

“(I’ve grown),” she said. “I’ve been in the league eight years, so if I haven’t grown that would be a problem.”

As Loyd, 28, finished her sentence, teammate Gabby Williams blurted out, “Oh my god. You’re so old!”

“I’m old, man,” Loyd responded with a smile. “I’m a vet.”

And a vet doesn’t let missed shots keep them down, especially not with the game on the line.

“As a rookie, you get frustrated when you’re not making shots,” she said. “You’re used to things being smooth, but when you’ve been in the league for a while, you understand the flow of the game, you understand who you are, your teammates, time, score, all those things.”

Loyd kept battling on Thursday night. She kept looking for her shot, and with less than five minutes left in a tight contest, she broke through for her first field goal, knocking down a step-back 3-pointer that cut the Mystics’ lead to 77-75.

From there, it was all Loyd. She added 10 more points down the stretch, and until Breanna Stewart hit two free throws with 14.6 seconds left, Loyd had scored all of her team’s points in the last five minutes of play.

Natasha Cloud, who spent most of the game matched up against Loyd, said the guard didn’t change anything about her game. She just stayed the course.

“Just a great player getting hot,” Cloud said. “She made tough shots down the stretch, and we knew they were going to go to her. And that’s just on me. I promise you I’m gonna be better next game.”

Loyd’s heroic run culminated with the go-ahead bucket with 38 seconds left on the clock.

As she dribbled toward the 3-point arc, she refused a screen from Stewart and continued on her line to the basket. Then, with Cloud on her right hip, Loyd took off on one-foot near the free-throw line. She used her athleticism to make a minor adjustment in the air and then fired a jumper.

It gave the Storm a one-point lead and resulted in a Washington timeout. Despite Elena Delle Donne’s 15 second-half points, and 26 overall, the Mystics came up short on their next possession and Seattle closed out the win on two Stewart free throws.

“I just stayed patient,”Lloyd said. “The second half came around and my teammates kept encouraging me, they threw it to me, and I was able to get to my spots.”

Storm coach Noelle Quinn has a unique perspective on Loyd’s game. Before joining the coaching staff in 2019, and eventually taking over as head coach last year, Quinn was Loyd’s teammate in Seattle.

Quinn says there were moments early in Loyd’s career when she started games slow and didn’t end up making the breakthrough. Since the Storm drafted her first overall in 2015, Loyd has won two WNBA championships, made four All-Star teams and earned many individual honors. Against the Mystics on Thursday, she showed that, even when things aren’t going her way in the beginning, her experience will carry her through.

“She pushed through today in a big way, in a major way,” Quinn said. “It wasn’t how she started, but how she finished. Those were big buckets down the stretch.”

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Jewell Loyd has re-signed with the Seattle Storm on a two-year deal. The signing comes after the Storm placed the core tag on Loyd early on in free agency.

“Seattle is my second home and I’m excited to return and win more championships with this amazing group,” said Loyd.

Loyd’s status remained unknown during free agency, despite the Storm having placed the core tag on the former No. 1 overall pick. According to ESPN’s Andraya Carter, Loyd had met with the New York Liberty during the last week of January.

During seven seasons with the Storm, Loyd has averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Loyd is a two-time WNBA Champion, three-time All-Star and 2021 All-WNBA First Team member. She’s also scored in double-figures in 168 games throughout her career, the third-most by a player since 2015.

The 2021 season was one of Loyd’s best, averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 assists – all career-highs. She had the WNBA’s highest-scoring game on the season with 37 points against Phoenix on Sept. 17. She also tied the WNBA record with 22 points in the first quarter of the game.

“Jewell is a special talent with a tremendous work ethic and having her back greatly improves our chances of contending for a fifth championship,” said Noelle Quinn, Storm Head Coach. “Last season, she evolved into an elite defender, combining with her offensive firepower to solidify why she’s among the best in the league.”

She became the third Storm player to reach 3,000 career points during the 2021 season and is the 12th-youngest WNBA player to reach the milestone.

“As one of the best players in the WNBA and a critical piece to our future success, keeping Jewell in Seattle was a top priority for us,” said Talisa Rhea, Storm General Manager. “Her dedication to improving her game and her leadership both on and off the court embodies the championship culture we have developed here.”

The Storm will also return Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird in what is likely Bird’s final season.

Breanna Stewart expects to re-sign with the Seattle Storm and help the franchise pursue its fifth WNBA title.

Sidelined with a left foot/leg injury since being injured in a game against Washington on Sept. 7, she is one of three stars on the Storm who is an unrestricted free agent.

“Seattle has always been my [WNBA] home,” said Stewart, who was drafted No. 1 by the Storm in 2016. “It’s where I’ve grown up, it’s where my career has continued to blossom. So I plan on being back unless something crazy happens. We have more things to do here.”

Stewart averaged 20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season before being injured.

Jewell Loyd is also an unrestricted free agent, averaging 17.8 points, 4 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season. While she said she and Stewart have discussed wanting to continue to play together, Loyd plans to take some time making a decision.

“Seattle has been home for me for the last seven years,” said Loyd, who doesn’t plan to play overseas this winter. “When you understand free agency, you understand you have the choice to stay or go. I’m going to take this time to have a break, talk with my family, talk with Stewie and everyone else. Reevaluate where I’m at in my life and my career and go forward from there.”

Sue Bird is the third Seattle star who is a free agent this offseason. After the Storm were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Mercury, Bird said she would wait to make a decision on whether or not to retire.

Defending Finals MVP Breanna Stewart will be out with an injury for the Seattle Storm’s single-elimination playoff game against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, but there’s no reason for 2020 champions to panic when they have a weapon like Jewell Loyd.

The All-Star point guard recently had a career-high 37 points against none other than Phoenix in Seattle’s last regular-season game on Sept. 17. The 94-85 win earned the Storm a bye to the second round of WNBA playoffs.

“She really understands who she is as a basketball player and within a game is trying to get to certain spots, trying to create certain space for herself,” said Storm guard Sue Bird. “I think that’s what was on display against Phoenix: just Jewell in her element, Jewell doing what she does best, and for me, when you see a player like Jewell doing that, you’re just trying to get her the ball.”

Loyd was drafted first overall by Seattle in 2015, coming to the league early after three years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The 2021 season has been her best one yet, with the 27-year-old averaging 17.9 points, four rebounds and 3.8 assists. In the top WNBA scoring performances of the regular season, Loyd ranked first and third with her 37 points against the Mercury and 35 over the New York Liberty in August. Last week, she was named to Just Women’s Sports All-WNBA first team.

“The evolution of her is like watching her blossom into this beautiful butterfly,” said Seattle coach Noelle Quinn.

Quinn, who played as Loyd’s teammate on the Storm before retiring in 2018, expressed excitement for what’s to come for the young veteran.

“If you understand the evolution of Jewell, we know she can get a bucket,” said Quinn. “Now it’s just the growth in her leadership, the growth of defending on the other side of the floor and putting it all together in a package, and so in games like this, you want to rely on her ability to hit shots – we have to rely on that ability – but also we have to rely on her ability to get stops on the other end of the floor.”

Growth was a common word for both Quinn and Bird when talking about Loyd. The Lincolnwood, Ill. native is always looking for ways to keep building, even as she ascends to the top ranks of the WNBA.

Bird described the Storm’s recent game against the Mercury as a perfect example. After Loyd put up 22 points in the first quarter, there was a lull from both her and Seattle, which allowed Phoenix to cut into the Storm’s once-comfortable lead. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Loyd rekindled her spark and showed up with another seven points, including a layup over Mercury star Brittney Griner that solidified Seattle’s win.

“She still was able to bounce right back and make a huge play,” said Bird. “That’s what you want to see in one of your go-to players.”

A gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Loyd’s been a game-changing player for the Storm and national squad all summer, but by competing on teams of so much depth, sometimes the standout moments get overshadowed.

“All of the things that she does within her, within our community, within our team, I think I will continue to vouch for her because I think a lot of times people undervalue her or not show her enough love, and I will always shout from the mountaintop how great she’s been and how she’s continued to grow,” said Quinn.

The Storm play the Mercury at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the winner moving on to the semi-finals against the Connecticut Sun or Las Vegas Aces.

Having lost three games to the Chicago Sky since mid-August, there is some relief for Seattle in the fact they are playing the Mercury, who they went 2-1 against through regular season. If No. 8 New York Liberty had defeated No. 5 Phoenix in the first round of playoffs, the Storm, set to play the higher seed, would have been facing the No. 6 Sky again on Sunday.

Jewell Loyd scored 22 points in the first quarter alone Friday night, tying a WNBA record for most points in a quarter. Diana Taurasi set the original record in 2006, with Brittney Sykes tying in 2019.

Loyd’s 22 points in six minutes propelled her to a career-high 37 points and the Storm to a 94-85 win over the Mercury.

The Storm were in control of the game at halftime, hitting a franchise-tying record 61 points before the break. Loyd also notched 28 points by halftime, the most by a WNBA player this season.

Phoenix cut a 22-point deficit to six at the end of the fourth quarter, but a last-minute three-point play from Loyd held off a resilient Mercury team down the stretch.

With the win, Seattle earned a first-round bye in the WNBA playoffs.

Next up: Phoenix will take on the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

Jewell Loyd is on a tear.

One game after dropping a career-high 35 points, Loyd notched a career-high seven three-pointers, putting up 21 points total. The Storm guard shot 61.5 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from deep to lead Seattle to a 99-83 win over the Liberty on Friday night.

Breanna Stewart added to the Storm’s pursuit, dropping 19 points and 14 rebounds in her first outing back after a two-game break. Friday marked Stewart’s 11th double-double of the regular season.

Sue Bird had a record-breaking game as well, draining ten points to reach the 6,500 career-point threshold, becoming the 6th player in WNBA history to do so.

Seattle’s win puts the team’s regular-season series with New York at 1-1. The Storm and the Liberty will play a decisive third game on Sept. 2.

Next up: The Storm will go on the road to face the Washington Mystics on Sunday. The Liberty will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.