Aces still waiting for Jewell Loyd-Kelsey Plum swap to pan out

With her hands outstretched and a wide smile on her face, A’ja Wilson made a beeline toward Jewell Loyd once time expired in the Aces’ win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday.

Wilson’s high-five quickly turned into what appeared to be a much-needed embrace. Loyd, a veteran guard, had just come off the bench for the first time since 2019.

For the Aces, Loyd being removed from the starting lineup is an unexpected turn of events that illustrates how complex her addition has been.

Acquiring her was their biggest offseason move, which was accomplished in a three-team deal that fulfilled her trade request from the Seattle Storm and sent guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks.

How does that move look — halfway through the season — as the Aces (13-13) prepare to visit Plum and the Sparks on Tuesday?

It’s safe to say the transaction hasn’t immediately proved to be the “seamless” championship move that team president Nikki Fargas touted it to be in February. But that doesn’t mean it can’t still pan out as a net positive for the Aces.

Plum is averaging 20.1 points and 5.9 assists for the 11-14 Sparks. These stats come with the pressures of being the No. 1 option on a rebuilding team, which was never going to be Plum’s reality in Las Vegas. Still, she averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists for the Aces last season.

Meanwhile, Loyd is averaging 10.4 points with the Aces for her lowest scoring average since her rookie year, struggling as the highest-paid player on the roster.

Here’s a closer look at Loyd’s addition to the Aces:

Loyd needs shots

Loyd scored 20 points off the bench against the Wings on Sunday while forward Kierstan Bell started in her place and added 19 points, showing flashes of a potential scenario that could work for the Aces.

The Aces have had the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year in five of the past six seasons. Loyd stands to become the strongest candidate for the Aces, though she’d prove to be a pretty expensive reserve guard.

Loyd has been key in multiple Aces’ wins, recording a game-winning 3-pointer in her second game with the team versus the Washington Mystics. The 31-year-old also had the go-ahead 3 to seal a tight win over the Wings last month.

She was moved to the bench after she went scoreless over 21 minutes in the Aces’ 109-78 loss Friday to the Minnesota Lynx, the low point of an inconsistent campaign. With 0-of-10 shooting, it was the worst offensive game of her career.

There was no silver lining in her defense, either, as she committed five fouls.

Coach Becky Hammon said that while Loyd was getting good looks at the basket and trying to contribute, the team would need more.

It was a callback to Hammon’s evaluation of Loyd after she recorded three points in a win over the Connecticut Sun on July 6 in back-to-back performances with less than five points.

“She’s had a couple maybe off-nights the last couple nights, but she’s also had some nights where she hits five or six (3-pointers). My job is always just to try to get her more quality looks,” Hammon said. “So there’s a volume aspect of that. … But she knows there’s other ways to influence the game. She’s always playing defense. She does a great job of getting on the offensive glass and the boards for us. So she’s doing a lot of other things that made me want to play her, other than just her shooting.”

It’s true that Loyd is averaging more rebounds than Plum did (4.0 compared with 2.6 from Plum in 2024). But that increase isn’t enough to move the needle for the Aces — especially since they traded a first-round pick for 6-foot-4-inch forward NaLyssa Smith last month.

Loyd is shooting 36 percent on 3-pointers and 37.1 percent from the floor. Plum was more efficient from the field last season with the Aces (42.3 percent), but was in the same range on 3s (36.8 percent).

The difference is Loyd being accustomed to playing as the focal point of the offense. She was the WNBA’s scoring leader in 2023 as one of only two double-figure scorers with the Storm.

But even when surrounded by more talent in 2024 after Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike joined the Storm, Loyd hit 27.4 percent of her 3s despite shooting the 13th-most 3-pointers in the league.

No real choice

In retrospect, Loyd being a volume shooter is something the Aces should have been prepared to address much earlier in the season. Wilson, the three-time MVP, and guard Jackie Young handle the bulk of the scoring.

But because of Loyd’s pre-existing friendship with Wilson and familiarity with fellow Notre Dame alum Young, Fargas and Loyd said they anticipated immediate chemistry on the court.

The other glaring reality is that the Aces didn’t appear to have much of a choice as they considered a path to replacing Plum. In light of their options, it’s hard to say they made the wrong move.

Loyd was available after requesting a trade from Seattle because of discontent with the coaching staff. Plum had also expressed her desire for a trade from the Aces after two WNBA titles.

Despite being offered an extension before free agency began, Plum was committed to moving on, forcing the Aces to give her the “core designation” and find a comparable supermax player to replace her in a trade — the only way the team could recoup some value from her exit.

“I’m forever grateful for my time in Vegas. There’s no animosity or ill will. It was time for me to grow,” Plum told reporters upon her arrival in Los Angeles. “That’s why I took a leap of faith. It’s just time for a new chapter in my life — personally and professionally.”

The Aces could have potentially maneuvered for the Sparks’ 2025 No. 2 draft pick, but it’s likely they didn’t want to take a risk with a young player. Loyd was the perfect replacement on paper — she was the 2015 WNBA Rookie of the Year and a two-time champion with the Storm in 2018 and 2020. She’s also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Now, the Aces just have to make sure she plays like she looks in her resume.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.