Jewell Loyd Discusses Her Journey to Becoming The GOLD MAMBA

If Jewell Loyd retired tomorrow, she should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. She’s put together a basketball résumé that is more impressive than most. And believe it or not, Loyd might have a solid 10-12 years to keep building on it; she’s only 30 years old and in her prime. Whether we look at her high school career, college career or her time in the W, she’s been a model of consistency…the model of consistency.

SLAM 252 featuring Jewell Loyd is available now.

Before Jewell fell in love with basketball, her world revolved around tennis. She was exposed to basketball because her older brother, Jarryd, played, but tennis was her thing, and she was destined to be a pro. During her early years growing up in Lincolnwood, IL, a suburb outside of Chicago, she played tennis “every single day, for six hours a day,” she says. And chances are, if she had stuck with tennis over basketball, she’d probably be competing in the same US Open match she was heading to watch after shooting her SLAM cover at our office on a cool and sunny September morning.

But one day at the park changed her outlook forever. 

Loyd played at the park all the time as a young kid. “Of course, after my homework,” she’s sure to add. But on this particular day, when she was about 7 years old, two older boys wouldn’t let her play on the basketball court. Jarryd, about 15 years old then, saw what was happening and offered a solution: We’ll play you for the court. So, it was game on. Two-on-two. The first to 10 points wins. It was Jewell and Jarryd’s first time teaming up together.

With the game on the line, the boys double-teamed Jewell, who was inches away from committing a turnover. In doing so, they left Jarryd wide open near the basket. Throw it up, throw it up! Jewell recalls her brother saying.

In dramatic fashion, she tossed the ball backward over her head and toward the rim, and Jarryd caught it for a game-winning flush. “Jarryd was just flying in the air, and it’s the first time I [had] ever seen my brother dunk. We won, and in that moment,” Jewell says, “I knew that basketball was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

She spent the next few years making a name for herself in the parks around the neighborhood. In many ways, this is what shaped her approach to the game.

“You started at Drake Park, and that’s where you play 21, knockout—it’s kind of the beginners’ court. Then you go to Columbia Park and play three-on-three. And then, once you get a squad, you go to Proesel Park and you represent and play five-on-five. So, you kind of have to move your way up.

“Growing up in Lincolnwood was a privilege,” she continues. “Being in an environment like that allowed me to just be myself, and it challenged me in a lot of ways because I was one of four or five girls to play with the guys, and that was a great experience for me.”

By the time she was in high school, Loyd developed into one of the best players in the country. She was a four-year starter at Niles West High School in Skokie and essentially broke every school record, averaging 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.2 blocks for her career.

While in high school, she had the opportunity to be a practice player for the Chicago Sky. Jewell says this experience is what really put her untapped potential in perspective. She had a front-row seat to observe what it takes to play at the highest level. “Seeing their routines and their lifestyle and the games up close opened my eyes to really be like, Wow, I think I could really do this,” she says.

She committed to play for Notre Dame and joined an already-loaded roster led by All-American guard Skylar Diggins. It didn’t take long for Jewell to adjust to high-major hoops; she was ready from the jump. She understood that she wouldn’t be the strongest and most athletic freshman, so she focused on what she could control.

“A lot of it is your body’s still growing and developing. I knew I wasn’t going to be the strongest right away, so I focused on conditioning,” she says. “When I got to college, I was making sure I was in the best shape, and that’s something that’s been with me since leaving college and going to the pros.”

At Notre Dame, Loyd etched her name in the history books as one of the best players in program history. She was a two-time All-American, two-time All-ACC selection, two-time ACC All-Defense selection, two-time NCAA All-Tournament selection and the 2015 ACC Player of the Year. For good measure, let’s not forget she also has a 2013 Big East Freshman of the Year under her belt (before Notre Dame moved to the ACC her sophomore year).

She accomplished all of this in only three years, and in a move not so popular in women’s basketball, decided to forgo her senior year and enter the 2015 WNBA Draft. And to nobody’s surprise, the Seattle Storm drafted her with the No. 1 pick.

Loyd arrived to the W with enormous expectations, not only because of her pure dominance dating back to her high school years, but also because she was tabbed with the nickname “Gold Mamba” by the Black Mamba, the late great Kobe Bryant himself. Now, that’s a lot to live up to. But if there was anyone built to carry that weight, it was Loyd. She embraced the lofty expectations head-on. It’s extremely hard for a No. 1 draft pick to meet expectations; she has exceeded them.

“Throughout [my rookie] year, it was just about understanding who I am, the belief that I could do something, the belief that I could stay in the League and be part of this League and grow the League. I really thought I could do that,” she says.

“And I’m the kind of person where, if I really believe I can do something, it’s probably going to happen. I’ve always been that person since I was young. I’ve never been afraid to say what I want to do, believe it and write it down. And I don’t dream small. I always dream big, and that’s something no one can ever take away from me.”

The Gold Mamba is cut from the same cloth as her namesake. She’s naturally gifted, has a relentless work ethic and is simply willing to do what the average aren’t. But the similarities run deeper than that. Like Kobe, Jewell has an unquenchable thirst to learn.

“It’s pretty cool as a professional athlete to still be learning and building your game up. For me, the best part about the game is that I’m still learning so much about it,” she says. “That’s the best part about life in general—you constantly learn and build, and you don’t know until you make mistakes and you can learn from those mistakes. A lot of people go to the next level, nervous to make mistakes. But you need them; you need a lot of experiences to help you grow and get better.”

Now, it’s Loyd’s turn to pay it forward. As eager as she is to continue learning and acknowledge those who paved the way for her, she understands the importance of mentorship and is now in a position to help guide the next generation of hoopers. She’s been seen working out with USC star Juju Watkins; she’s been very supportive of Seattle Storm rookie Nika Mühl and the exceptional 2024 rookie class; and she makes herself available to any of her younger peers seeking wisdom or advice.

“I understand that I’m here because people helped me. I didn’t get here by myself,” she says. “If it wasn’t for my family, if it wasn’t for the people in my circle, I don’t know if I actually would have been able to go to the next level.”

The honors are plentiful: two-time WNBA champion, six-time All-Star (and 2023 All-Star Game MVP), three-time All-WNBA selection, the 2015 Rookie of the Year and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, her most recent coming this past August at the Paris Games. And from the looks of things, all of these accolades, aside from Rookie of the Year, of course, should probably be qualified as “and counting.”

The 2023 WNBA season was a contract year for Loyd, and she played like it, averaging a career-best 24.7 ppg (which was also a League-best that season) and 4.7 rpg. Yet, the Seattle Storm struggled as a team and finished with an underwhelming 11-29 record. 

Instead of jumping ship to team up with other All-Stars, she signed a contract extension with the Storm in the offseason, and bet on herself that other players would be interested in joining her in Seattle and building a championship contender. It seemed like Seattle was heading for a rebuild until a pair of elites, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, hopped on board.

As we go to press, Loyd is averaging 20.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg. More importantly, the Seattle Storm have clinched a playoff berth and are looking to make a deep run. And while they may not be the odds-on favorite, trust us when we say that nobody is looking forward to matching up against them.    

Loyd doesn’t have an in-your-face type of personality but rather a sort of quiet confidence that’s felt by her mere presence more than her words. She doesn’t ask for extra attention, though her game demands it. She isn’t typically the loudest in the room, but when she speaks, you want to listen. She has a wealth of knowledge and insight and is one of the most eloquent and thoughtful people—let alone athletes—you could come across.

Since she was a freshman in high school, Loyd says she’s been asked about the legacy she hopes to leave, and she says her answer constantly changes. This time, though, her answer has nothing to do with the game she loves, one that’s defined her life for the past 23 years, ever since that day at the playground with her brother.

“I just want my legacy to be that I’m a really good person, honestly,” she says. “I’m here to serve. That’s what I want people to understand about me. As much as I receive from the world, I’m going to give that back. And you don’t have to take it, but I’m here to let you guys know it’s all love here.” 

Portraits by Luke Schlaifer.