Today’s player of the day is guard Jewell Loyd. Loyd wears the #24 jersey for the team. She was born on October 5, 1993 in Chicago, IL. She stands at 5’10 and weighs 148 pounds. Loyd attended Niles West High School and later Notre Dame college. She was drafted to play for the Seattle Storm in 2015. She was drafted at #1 during the 2015 WNBA Draft.
Loyd is a rookie but she is also a serious player, forgoing her senior season at Notre Dame in order to get into the WNBA Draft a year early. Although a lot of people gave Loyd looks of disapproval over leaving the team, with even Notre Dame’s coach head coach Muffet McGraw saying that “I think it's a really bad decision for women, especially to try to leave early. They're not making the money that the men make,” most sportswriters have pointed out that when male athletes leave for the pros it is a celebrated move. Loyd’s decision should not be treated any differently. Perhaps Loyd will change that on her way to WNBA stardom.
In Loyd’s last year playing for the team, she was voted Women’s College Player of the year. She was the fifth highest scorer in the history of the Fighting Irish, scoring 1,909 points in her collegiate career. Loyd has played a total of 112 games, with a field goal average of 47.0. She has scored an average of 17.0 points per game and the Seattle Storm is looking forward to having her on the roster. Additional awards and achievements that Loyd has under her belt include 2012-13 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, 2014-15 John R. Wooden Award finalist, 2012-13 USBWA National Freshman of the Year, 2 014-15 espnW National Player of the Year and 2014-15 AP All-American.
Loyd’s fans can follow her news, see her photos and videos and learn more about the rookie player at her Twitter page, @jewelloyd, where her bio simply reads, “Make them an offer they can’t refuse.” She shares her favorite memes, sports news and even her favorite Bible verses. Fans can also purchase merchandise featuring Loyd’s name at her online store, such as her “Rookie of the Year” sweatshirt. She is the daughter of Gwendolyn Davis-Loyd and Calvin Loyd and has one brother who also plays basketball. In addition to basketball, Loyd also enjoys tennis, playing piano and cooking. She also watches soccer.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
