Tag: Seattle Storm

Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith lead Storm to first win of season

We could see this a lot this season.

Seattle Storm fans are going to learn a lot about their new backcourt of [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag]. Those two played together at Notre Dame, and now, they have a chance to work together in the WNBA. Hopefully, there will be plenty of moments involving them both during their time in the Pacific Northwest.

The league acknowledged the duo’s past with the Irish when posting highlights of the Storm’s 84-75 win over the Washington Mystics, their first victory of the season, on social media:

Diggins-Smith also led the Storm with five assists, though those were somewhat offset by her game-high seven turnovers. Meanwhile, half of Loyd’s points came from the free-throw line. However, none of that should diminish the fact that both players were phenomenal during this particular game.

Both players will be in Chicago on May 28 to play the Sky. Five of the WNBA’s eight Irish representatives will be under the same roof. The others will be [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag], [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] and [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag].

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Jewell Loyd had challenging experience at Notre Dame despite dominance

An eye-opening story.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] is one of the most decorated players in Notre Dame history, and she has continued collecting awards with the Seattle Storm. But it turns out that while she dominated at Notre Dame, her time there was incredibly difficult.

In a new story from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, we learn that Loyd, a native of Lincolnwood, Illinois, wasn’t happy in part because Notre Dame wasn’t nearly as diverse as the Chicago area. It got so bad that she frequently thought about transferring only to be talked out of it by her mom, who didn’t like the idea of her sitting out a year. Keep in mind this was before the transfer portal became what it is now.

While at Notre Dame, depression and anxiety set in for the first time in her life. It wasn’t until she struck up a friendship with teammate [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag] that she really began to feel at ease. But even that wasn’t enough to stop her from declaring for the WNBA draft after only three seasons with the Irish because of how unhappy she was.

This serves as a reminder that sometimes, people you love and care about need you to reach out. You don’t know what’s going on with them necessarily, but all they might need at that moment is someone willing to listen and offer support. Maybe that’s what you should do on this Mother’s Day weekend if you encounter such a friend or family member. It’s the least anyone can do.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

4-time WNBA champion Sue Bird joins Seattle Storm ownership group

Bird played 20 seasons with the Storm and is now part of the ownership group of her beloved team.

Force 10 Hoops, which owns the Seattle Storm, recently announced that WNBA legend Sue Bird has joined its ownership group. Bird played 19 seasons with the Storm, and her career included four WNBA championships, 13 All-Star Game appearances, eight All-WNBA teams and five Olympic gold medals. She retired at the end of 2022 after an illustrious career, both in college and the WNBA, but her business ventures were only getting started.

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” said Bird. “Investing in women’s sports isn’t just about passion; it’s smart business. It’s about recognizing the immense talent, dedication, and market potential our league has always had.”

This is the second professional sports team Bird has invested in, the first being the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022. Bird and her wife, legendary United States women’s national team soccer player Megan Rapinoe, launched the production company A Touch More in 2022. In 2021, she co-founded the media production company Togethxr, alongside U.S. national team player Alex Morgan, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel.

The ownership announcement comes less than a week after the Storm unveiled their new center for basketball performance, the “first dedicated WNBA practice facility designed and built from the ground up.” It is a $64 million, 50,000-square-foot practice facility and team headquarters.

“Together, we’re not just shaping the future of basketball, but also paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive society,” Bird said.

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Seattle is storming in with a new state-of-the-art practice facility

It is a 50,000 square foot facility which will serve as the team’s dedicated practice facility and team headquarters.

Almost one year ago, the Las Vegas Aces unveiled the first-of-its-kind training facility built solely to house a WNBA team. And now, the Seattle Storm have unveiled their new Center for Basketball Performance, the “first dedicated WNBA practice facility designed and built from the ground up.”

“This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance,” said Ginny Gilder, co-owner of the Storm. “It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports.”

It is a 50,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the team’s dedicated practice facility and headquarters. There are two indoor professional basketball courts, two outdoor 3×3 courts, and an exclusive suite for the team that includes a locker room, a nutrition center and a player lounge. The facility also caters to the physical and mental needs of players with strength and conditioning equipment, health and wellness suites and an aquatics center.

Players were able to tour the facility and looked right at home in the new digs. The center is set to open its doors for the start of training camp on April 28.

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Watch: Jewell Loyd makes halfcourt shot, advises in Notre Dame return

A program legend was there for a great night.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] will go down as one of the best women’s basketball players ever. In her WNBA tenure with the Seattle Storm, she’s earned two championships, five All-Star selections and her first scoring title just this past season. But her journey to superstardom at the professional level began at Notre Dame, and she returned there for the Irish’s game against No. 5 Virginia Tech.

Before anyone got there, she stepped onto the court at Purcell Pavilion and made a shot from halfcourt like it was nothing:

After the Irish earned a victory over the Hokies that many were not expecting, Loyd met with the Irish and offered advice to the players who undoubtedly remained a high from their upset win:

One of the best players in program history, Loyd always will have a place at Notre Dame. That she came back for the high point of the season to this point makes it better. Hopefully, the Irish won’t have to wait long for her next visit:

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Skylar Diggins-Smith revealed the reason she moved on from the Mercury to sign with the Storm

This was a no-brainer.

It’s no secret that the relationship between Skylar Diggins-Smith and the Phoenix Mercury was icy before she signed with the Seattle Storm. Now, the veteran is revealing why she made the move. Two words: Jewell Loyd.

WNBA free agency has been fairly calm in recent days, but when signings began on February 1, there was a fury of moves. Those moves included a splash Skylar Diggins-Smith signing by the Seattle Storm that shook up league circles. Diggins had been in a very tense relationship with the Mercury for well over a year after being out on maternity leave, where she was allegedly cut off from using training facilities and forced to pay to use local gyms.

On Thursday, Diggins credited Mercury legend Bridget Pettis for helping her get back to playing form and reignite her belief that she could play again. She also revealed why she wanted to play for the Seattle Storm.

Diggins-Smith explained to the media that she left so that she could be reunited with her college teammate, Jewell Loyd. She also said it was her top priority to play with 12-year veteran Nneka Ogwumike, who left the Los Angeles Sparks to also play in Seattle. Throughout Monday’s presser, Skylar and Nneka spoke about the culture, winning ways, and facilities of Seattle being huge draws as well.

You can see the full introductory press conference with Skylar, Nneka, head coach Noelle Quinn and general manager Talisa Rhea below.

WNBA introduces new format for 2024 Commissioner’s Cup

The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, an in-season competition launched in 2021, will have a new format for the 2024 season.

The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, an in-season competition launched in 2021, will have a new format for the 2024 season. Instead of 10 games counting toward selection into the tournament, teams will each play just five games during the two-week period from June 1-13, one against each of its in-conference rivals.

“After crowning three Commissioner’s Cup champions since 2021, we believe it is time to introduce a new, streamlined format for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “The newly designed, concentrated structure for this in-season tournament adds an increased sense of urgency and excitement as we place a particular spotlight on Eastern and Western Conference Commissioner’s Cup play in a two-week window near the tip off of our regular season. The focus is on making the Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase even more engaging for all our stakeholders, including fans, teams, players and the community organizations that collaborate with our teams during the designated games.”

The inaugural Commissioner’s Cup was won by the Seattle Storm in 2021 (Breanna Stewart, MVP). The Las Vegas Aces won in 2022 (Chelsea Gray, MVP). This past season, the New York Liberty (Jonquel Jones, MVP) took home the Commissioner’s Cup.

The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete for a $500,000 prize pool in the Commissioner’s Cup championship. The championship game will be played on June 25 at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play.

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Fever snag top pick in 2024 WNBA draft for second straight year

By missing the 2023 WNBA playoffs, Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle qualified for the 2024 draft lottery.

On Sunday, the Indiana Fever won the 2024 WNBA draft lottery and will have the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft held on Monday, April 15, 2024.

This is the second consecutive year the Fever will pick first in the draft.

The Fever selected South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston in the 2023 WNBA draft, who then went on to be voted the WNBA Rookie of the Year. The other three teams who participated in the lottery were the Los Angeles Sparks, who will have the second selection; the Phoenix Mercury, who will select third; and the Seattle Storm, who will select fourth.

By missing the 2023 WNBA playoffs, Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle qualified for the 2024 draft lottery.

The selection order for the remainder of the first, second and third rounds is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective 2023 regular season records, taking into account trades and negotiations that might have affected draft order.

The remaining first-round draft order (based on 2023 record):           

5. Dallas from Chicago (18-22)

6. Washington (19-21)

7. Minnesota (19-21)

8. Atlanta (19-21)

9. Dallas (22-18)

10. Connecticut (27-13)

11. New York (32-8)

12. Los Angeles from Las Vegas (34-6)

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Fever, Sparks, Mercury and Storm will vie for No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick

The Fever will have the most chances to land the top pick and are guaranteed at least the third pick.

The 23rd annual WNBA draft lottery will be broadcast on Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm will vie for the No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick.

The Fever secured the top spot in the 2023 draft and selected Aliyah Boston No. 1 overall. Boston was unanimously named the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year and received all 60 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

The 2024 draft is currently scheduled to take place on April 15, 2024. Lottery odds are based on the cumulative records of the two most recent regular seasons (2022 and 2023). The Fever will have the most chances to land the top pick and are guaranteed at least the third pick. Phoenix has the next highest likelihood of winning the No. 1 spot, followed by the Sparks and Storm.

The order of selection for the remainder of the first round, second round and third round is determined by inverse order of the teams’ respective 2023 regular season records, taking into account trades and negotiations that might have affected draft order.

The remaining first-round draft order (based on 2023 record):           

5. Dallas from Chicago (18-22)

6. Washington (19-21)

7. Minnesota (19-21)

8. Atlanta (19-21)

9. Dallas (22-18)

10. Connecticut (27-13)

11. New York (32-8)

12. Los Angeles from Las Vegas (34-6)

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Two former Notre Dame players named to All-WNBA Second Team

Congrats, Jackie and Jewell!

We’re getting close to Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team’s defense of its ACC regular-season title. First, we need to acknowledge two former Irish who had fantastic seasons in the WNBA. In fact, they were recognized for those seasons by being named Second Team All-WNBA.

Statistically, [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] of the Seattle Storm had the better season. She won the league’s scoring title with 24.7 points a game, the second-highest scoring average in league history. She also was named MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game by setting event records in points (31) and 3-pointers (10). However, her standout season was not nearly enough to keep the Storm from having the league’s second-worst record at 11-29.

[autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag]’s Las Vegas Aces are one win away from the WNBA championship. She is largely responsible for the season the Aces have had, averaging a career-high 17.6 points a game and shooting 44.9% from 3-point range, the second-best such shooting percentage in the league. She also was voted to start in the All-Star Game.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89