American professional basketball guard, three-time WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and former No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick.
Jewell Loyd was born in Lincolnwood, Illinois, and attended Niles West High School in Skokie. She was a four-year starter and became one of the top high school players in the United States. During her high school career, she scored 3,077 points and averaged 24.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. She was a McDonald’s All-American, WBCA All-American, Parade All-American, MaxPreps All-American, Illinois Player of the Year, and a Naismith National High School Player of the Year finalist in 2012.
Loyd joined Notre Dame in 2012 and made an immediate impact. As a freshman, she was named USBWA National Freshman of the Year, Big East Freshman of the Year, and selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team. She averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds while helping Notre Dame continue its position among the top programmes in college basketball.
As a sophomore in 2013–14, Loyd became one of Notre Dame’s primary scorers. She averaged 18.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, was named First-team All-ACC, ACC All-Defensive Team, and earned All-America recognition. She scored in double figures in all 37 games and helped Notre Dame reach the NCAA championship game.
Her junior season in 2014–15 was the most decorated of her college career. Loyd averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, won ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, and espnW National Player of the Year. She was named AP First-team All-American and was a finalist for several national awards, including the Naismith Trophy, Honda Sports Award, Dawn Staley Award, Wade Trophy, and Wooden Award. She finished her Notre Dame career with 1,909 points, ranking fifth in programme history at the time, and chose to enter the WNBA Draft after her junior year.
The Seattle Storm selected Loyd first overall in the 2015 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season, she averaged 10.7 points per game, led all rookies in scoring, and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and selected to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She initially played alongside veteran point guard Sue Bird, shifting between shooting guard and backup point guard roles.
In 2016, Loyd became a full-time starter and averaged 16.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. She earned All-WNBA Second Team honours and helped Seattle return to the playoffs. In 2017, she increased her scoring to 17.7 points per game and remained one of the Storm’s main offensive players.
The 2018 season marked the first major team championship of Loyd’s WNBA career. She averaged 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists as Seattle finished with the league’s best record. The Storm defeated the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Finals, giving Loyd her first WNBA championship. She was also selected to her first WNBA All-Star Game that season.
Loyd made another All-Star appearance in 2019 and remained with Seattle through a period of roster changes and injuries. In 2020, during the shortened WNBA bubble season, she helped the Storm win another championship. Seattle finished 18–4 in the regular season and swept the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals. Loyd averaged 15.5 points during the regular season and 17.8 points in the playoffs.
In 2021, Loyd earned All-WNBA First Team honours after averaging 17.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. She scored a season-high 37 points against Phoenix and helped Seattle win the Commissioner’s Cup. She was again named a WNBA All-Star.
Her highest-scoring season came in 2023. Loyd averaged 24.7 points per game, led the WNBA in scoring, won the WNBA Peak Performer Award, and was named All-WNBA Second Team. She set a then-WNBA single-season scoring record with 939 points and scored a career-high 41 points against Minnesota. In the 2023 All-Star Game, she scored 31 points and made 10 three-pointers, earning All-Star Game MVP honours.
In 2024, Loyd remained one of Seattle’s leading players, averaging 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. She reached 5,000 career points and 1,000 career assists, becoming one of the youngest players in league history to reach those milestones. In 2025, she joined the Las Vegas Aces and won her third WNBA championship. During that season, she became the 16th player in WNBA history to reach 6,000 career points and helped Las Vegas win the title as part of a veteran championship roster.
Loyd has also played overseas for Galatasaray in Turkey, Shanxi Flame in China, Guri KDB Life Winnus in South Korea, Botaş SK in Turkey, and Perfumerías Avenida in Spain. In 2025, she also played for Mist BC in Unrivaled.
Jewell Loyd has represented the United States in both 5x5 and 3x3 basketball. At youth level, she was part of the United States team that won the inaugural FIBA U17 World Cup in 2010, finishing the tournament with an 8–0 record.
In 2014, Loyd played on the USA 3x3 World Cup team alongside Cierra Burdick, Sara Hammond, and Tiffany Mitchell. The team went 9–0 and won gold at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Moscow. She became the first U.S. athlete to win gold at both FIBA’s 5x5 and 3x3 World Cups.
At senior 5x5 level, Loyd helped the United States win the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain, joining the team after winning the WNBA championship with Seattle. She later helped the United States win the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, where the team finished 8–0.
Loyd was part of the United States Olympic team that won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021. She was again selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the United States defeated France in the final to win its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Across her USA Basketball career through 2024, she held a 54–4 record in official USA Basketball games.
Jewell Loyd plays as a guard, with experience at both point guard and shooting guard. At 5 ft 10 in to 5 ft 11 in, she is known for shot creation, three-point shooting, transition scoring, free-throw accuracy, and off-ball movement. Her best seasons show the ability to carry a high scoring load while also contributing rebounds, assists, and defensive pressure. She has been used as both a primary scorer and a complementary championship guard.
Jewell Loyd was born in Lincolnwood, Illinois, to Gwendolyn Davis-Loyd and Calvin Loyd. Her older brother, Jarryd Loyd, played basketball at Valparaiso University and professionally overseas. Loyd also played tennis and soccer while growing up before focusing on basketball.
She has dyslexia and has used her platform to support children with learning differences. Loyd has partnered with organisations including Eye to Eye and The Dyslexic Advantage to promote inclusion, mentoring, and resources for students with learning disabilities. She is nicknamed the “Gold Mamba,” a name connected to her relationship with Kobe Bryant as a mentor. She also hosts The Warehouse podcast and has business interests, including a Smoothie King franchise in Skokie, Illinois, with her brother.
Jewell Loyd’s legacy is built around scoring, championship success, and sustained production as one of the WNBA’s leading guards. She entered the league as the No. 1 overall draft pick, won Rookie of the Year, and became a central part of the Seattle Storm’s 2018 and 2020 championship teams. Her 2023 scoring title and then-record 939-point season showed her ability to carry a major offensive role.
Internationally, Loyd’s résumé includes Olympic, World Cup, and 3x3 World Cup gold medals. Her move to Las Vegas in 2025 added a third WNBA championship to her career. Off the court, her work around dyslexia and inclusion has given her public profile a broader focus beyond basketball. Her career represents one of the strongest combinations of professional scoring, team championships, and international success among American guards of her generation.
Jewell Loyd’s high school honours include 2012 McDonald’s All-American, WBCA All-American, Parade All-American, MaxPreps All-American, Illinois Player of the Year, WBCA High School All-America Game MVP, and four all-state selections. She was also a finalist for the Naismith National High School Player of the Year award.
At Notre Dame, Loyd was USBWA National Freshman of the Year and Big East Freshman of the Year in 2013. She later became a two-time First-team All-ACC selection, two-time ACC All-Defensive Team selection, two-time ACC Tournament MVP, and 2015 ACC Player of the Year. Her national honours included espnW National Player of the Year, AP First-team All-American, WBCA Coaches’ All-American, USBWA All-American, and John R. Wooden Award All-American recognition. She helped Notre Dame reach three Final Fours and two national championship games.
In the WNBA, Loyd won championships in 2018, 2020, and 2025. She was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and selected to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2015. She earned All-WNBA First Team honours in 2021 and All-WNBA Second Team honours in 2016 and 2023. She was selected to six WNBA All-Star Games from 2018 to 2024 and was named WNBA All-Star Game MVP in 2023. She also won the 2023 WNBA scoring title and Peak Performer Award.
Internationally, Loyd won Olympic gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, FIBA World Cup gold medals in 2018 and 2022, the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Cup gold medal, and the 2010 FIBA U17 World Cup gold medal. Her international career includes participation in USA national team camps, Olympic qualifying, World Cup qualifying, and major FIBA competitions.
Jewell Loyd is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Born on October 5, 1993, in Lincolnwood, Illinois, she became one of the leading guards in women’s basketball through her scoring, shot creation, and long-term success at Notre Dame, with the Seattle Storm, and with the United States national team. Loyd played at Niles West High School before joining the University of Notre Dame, where she helped the Fighting Irish reach three NCAA Final Fours and two national championship games.
Loyd was selected first overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2015 WNBA Draft and was named WNBA Rookie of the Year that season. She developed into one of the league’s most reliable scoring guards, earning multiple All-Star selections and All-WNBA honours. With Seattle, she won WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020 and helped the Storm win the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup. In 2023, she led the WNBA in scoring with 24.7 points per game, won the WNBA Peak Performer Award, and was named WNBA All-Star Game MVP after setting an All-Star Game record with 10 made three-pointers.
In 2025, Loyd joined the Las Vegas Aces and won her third WNBA championship. Internationally, she has won Olympic gold medals with the United States in 2020 and 2024, FIBA World Cup gold medals in 2018 and 2022, the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, and the 2010 FIBA U17 World Cup.
