‘The ideal sportsman’: Aces’ Loyd nominated for WNBA award in 1st season

For most WNBA awards, fan discourse and team campaigns are normally in full swing well before votes are due in September.

But one honor on the ballot is seldom discussed, and Aces guard Jewell Loyd is nominated for it this year: the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.

Named for the Houston Comets guard who helped her team win back-to-back WNBA championships in the league’s first two seasons before dying in 1999 after a battle with cancer, the award is annually presented to a player who “exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.”

Loyd is in familiar company as a nominee. Aces coach Becky Hammon won it as a player for the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2014. Sue Bird, Loyd’s former Seattle Storm teammate, won it in 2017 and 2018.

Hammon believes Loyd’s candidacy is simple:

“She’s the ideal sportsman. She does it all right. The attitude’s always right, the effort,” Hammon said. “Even how she treats her teammates, like her care factor. She’s been so easy. With her, it’s just: ‘Whatever it takes, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.’ ”

Good sport on, off court

Loyd was surprised to learn that she was nominated.

“I didn’t even know about that,” she said. “I think it’s pretty special because that’s about more than just basketball, to me. It’s how you carry yourself. And that goes a long way.”

Loyd’s composure was tested this season following a 75-70 win over her former team of 10 years on June 1, when a former Storm assistant coach directed profane language toward her on the court.

Hammon told the Las Vegas Review-Journal at the time that an assistant told Loyd “(Expletive) you,” leading the team to flag the issue to the WNBA. A league source did not deny the incident took place but downplayed it, saying that cursing is common in sports.

This came after Loyd complained of bullying during the 2024 season with the Storm and requested a trade after an internal investigation found no wrongdoing.

But even as the league opted not to pursue any punishment for the assistant, there were no signs that Loyd sought retaliation. She didn’t use any media time to complain about it, either, pivoting her answers toward the Aces’ progress when asked about it.

“It’s how I was raised,” Loyd said. “It always matters to me, just being about people, always investing in people. And I know that I didn’t get here by myself. I had help.”

Hammon has been one of the people to help Loyd this year, she said, constantly texting her after games to point out things she did well — even if her stat line didn’t jump off the page.

“I won’t really feel like I did really well, and she’ll remind me that I did something,” Loyd said. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed with (Bird) and (Hammon), just their perspectives on life.”

Selfless in aiding team

An easy example of Loyd’s sportsmanship is found in her decision to come off the bench after her first 25 games. Loyd said that Hammon struggled to accept the idea, worrying that it was mental or a result of Loyd feeling like the team didn’t trust her.

“Before we actually did it, she came in the locker room and was like, ‘Are you sure?’” Loyd said of Hammon, who eventually accepted that Loyd simply believed the idea could work. “She’s learning me as a vet. I don’t really care about the individual stuff. I really just want to win.”

The shift came too late for Loyd to be considered for Sixth player of the Year, but it coincides with the Aces’ upward trajectory, which has seen them win 14 straight games.

Loyd’s game averages of 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists might not be the production some were anticipating when the Aces acquired the 2023 WNBA scoring champion in the process of granting guard Kelsey Plum’s trade request. But three-time MVP A’ja Wilson thinks Loyd’s fit has been just right.

“Does it look like what people on the outside want it to look like? No,” Wilson said. “But (what matters is) what we see in the locker room. … Jewell is always the first person in the gym. It’s crazy. It goes to show how much she really wants to pour into the game and pour into us.”

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