WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd signed a multi-year extension with the Seattle Storm, the team announced Saturday.
The team didn’t announce terms but ESPN reported it is a two-year deal worth just under $500,000. The contract runs through 2025.
Loyd, a five-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion, is averaging 24.6 points per game this season entering Sunday’s regular-season finale against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks. She has scored a franchise-record 911 points this season.
Only Diana Taurasi (25.3 in 2006) has a higher single-season average than Loyd in league history.
Loyd, who turns 30 next month, has spent all nine of her WNBA seasons in Seattle. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“It’s been special for Seattle to witness Jewell compete for championships and rise to be one of the best in the game. She is a franchise player, and we are excited to continue to build our future around her,” Storm CEO Alisha Valavanis said in a statement. “She is a remarkable person and leader, she lifts her teammates, the organization, and her community. Everyone around Jewell knows she embodies greatness. We’re so glad she’s staying in Seattle.”
Loyd raised her level of play this season after Breanna Stewart departed the Storm via free agency in the offseason and Sue Bird retired.
Loyd’s previous career-high scoring average was 17.9 in 2021 before she steamrolled that figure this season. She also has a career-high 111 3-pointers made.
“This has been a special year for Jewell and I’m excited it caps off with a commitment to continue to build her legacy in Seattle,” said Storm coach Noelle Quinn, who was a teammate of Loyd’s from 2016-18. “Jewell brings a level of excellence to our team on the court and consistently proves that she is one of the best in our league. Her accolades and achievements speak volumes to the commitment she has to her game and the Seattle Storm.”
Seattle (11-28) will end its season Sunday as it missed the postseason field.
—Field Level Media
Original source here
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