Jewell Loyd Leaving for WNBA

[UcMiami]

Please don't throw anything at me, but I'm not going to join the chorus of praise for Jewel. In both UCONN games this season, her shooting percentage was terrible, it didn't stop her from taking a lot of shots and she took a lot of crazy shots. Unlike KML who, when she was having a bad shooting night, refocused on setting her team mates up, Jewel did not. Is it possible she is just not a great player in the big games? She wouldn't be the first player to have that issue. She didn't really play well in the last 3 or 4 playoff games. It could also just be that the defenses of the better teams were able to key on her.

Valid point - but I see her more as a Sims like player than a Simmons type player. Uconn is not a good measuring stick to use for any offensive players game - sometimes they key on another teams best weapon, sometimes they key on everyone else and let one player go off, knowing that one player can't beat them on her own. But in either case their defense is significantly better than any other defense in the country so the results are skewed because their opponent's players and coach just don't see that intensity in the rest of their season. I would say the same about ND - Jefferson for example against ND in her six games looks terrible - four times she has failed to score a point and her A/TO ratio is terrible.

Jewel with McBride and Achonwa on her team was a very different player to this years version - with the second best player on the team this year being a freshman, Jewel became the offensive force for the team, not dissimilar to Sims last year after Griner left.

 

[Orangutan]

Is it possible she is just not a great player in the big games? She wouldn't be the first player to have that issue. She didn't really play well in the last 3 or 4 playoff games. It could also just be that the defenses of the better teams were able to key on her.

Something was up with her in the tournament. Maybe just gassed from a huge minutes load/responsibility. Maybe contemplating turning pro. Maybe just trying to hard. The Loyd of this postseason was not the same Loyd of last season and this year's regular season. *That* Loyd thrived in big games (except against UConn who basically every ND player has struggled against).

27 pts (8-15 FG), 8 rebs, 6 ast against Maryland
41 pts (12-28 FG, 15-18 FT) 12 rebs against DePaul
34 pts (13-23 FG) 5 rebs, 4 ast against Tennessee

Were a few of her better ones. I was there for the DePaul game and those FG numbers aren't great but she willed ND to that win. Turner was out and only she and Cable were playing well. And Cable started cramping up late. Much of the game ND's offense was Jewell-on-5.

 

[CocoHusky]

This is personally agonizing. I’m not sure if I should be happy for Jewell or hope that she changes her mind and comes back to ND.
I going to have to sleep on this!

 

[Henry]

Sorry. I'm a little late to this thread. I am absolutely shocked and disappointed Jewell is leaving. I hope this does not start a trend for US players who are of age. The great thing about WCBB is that players stay four years and develop into better basketball players. Also, you can count on them being htere year after year. Will Morgan leave after next year???

 

[MilfordHusky]

My understanding is that once a kid enters a US college the 22 applies to them, also.

Could be. Thanks for that wrinkle, Ice.

 

[ocoandasoc]

I'll add a little more conjecture....

There were lots of agents, former WCBB players, foreign team reps, and WNBA players and staff hanging around the Final Four. I wonder if one or more third parties isn't responsible for JL's apparent change of heart.

I'm going to be interested to see who her agent turns out to be.... and what he/she might have told/promised JL could be obtained for her. Same agent as Diggins????

Could the WNBA folks from Seattle or Tulsa have given her an indication of where she might wind up and what the promotional opportunities might be? (Seattle's draft options certainly improved dramatically this week!) Could a foreign team have shown an interest? (Yes, she would be just as entertaining in Europe as she is here!) Nike?

Or maybe it's something else. Are there coaching changes coming at ND (an assistant leaving) or players that might transfer (Reimer?). Did JL see her role at ND changing next year? Are there physical issues we're not aware of? Has she already done something that would jeopardize her amateur status for next year? Does she think a year in the pros would improve her Olympic team prospects?

I hate to be cynical... but 99 times out of a hundred it's about the $$$.

 

[jsloanjr]

Its the best choice in her mind............Best wishes and stay healthy.......

 

[MilfordHusky]

With regard to the impact on ND, don't count the Irish out. I did about 3 years ago, and they surprised me. Muffett is a top-5 coach, and they have tons of talent. The 3 frosh guards are really good, though green. Turner is a stud. Reimer is pretty good and improving, and Mabrey is a great shooter from 25'. Plus Allen was a star against Stanford. I still have them in the top 3-4, but no longer at #2. I think they are still the best team in the ACC and a possible/probable Final Four participant. BTW, I really dislike them, but have to recognize that they are good.

 

[Striper69]

Please don't throw anything at me, but I'm not going to join the chorus of praise for Jewel. In both UCONN games this season, her shooting percentage was terrible, it didn't stop her from taking a lot of shots and she took a lot of crazy shots. Unlike KML who, when she was having a bad shooting night, refocused on setting her team mates up, Jewel did not. Is it possible she is just not a great player in the big games? She wouldn't be the first player to have that issue. She didn't really play well in the last 3 or 4 playoff games. It could also just be that the defenses of the better teams were able to key on her.

Stating the obvious...

 

[Striper69]

I disagree but not enought to throw things. What might look like a crazy shot for anyone else is within the realm of possibility for Jewell because of her athleticism. You also have to consider the quality of her teammates. KML can get high assist numbers when her shot is not falling because she has world class finishers in Tuck, Stewie, MoJeff,and Kiah. Jewell has.....maybe Turner could have grow into that role. Keep in mind ND only loses were to UCONN when Jewell had Kayla and Natalie. ND has been scoring dependent on Jewell all year. By the time the post season came around she was worn down. IMO she saw another season of the same and opted out. Can you blame her?

Not really...

 

[BigBird]

I hate to be cynical... but 99 times out of a hundred it's about the $$$.

I don't think that's cynical. I think it is just a general truth in the business of sports. Collegiate sports long ago stopped being a "student activity" and became a business. While business isn't a dirty word, it locks us into discussions of this sort.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I disagree but not enought to throw things. What might look like a crazy shot for anyone else is within the realm of possibility for Jewell because of her athleticism. You also have to consider the quality of her teammates. KML can get high assist numbers when her shot is not falling because she has world class finishers in Tuck, Stewie, MoJeff,and Kiah. Jewell has.....maybe Turner could have grow into that role. Keep in mind ND only loses were to UCONN when Jewell had Kayla and Natalie. ND has been scoring dependent on Jewell all year. By the time the post season came around she was worn down. IMO she saw another season of the same and opted out. Can you blame her?

I don't know, still seems like a chicken-and-egg question. ND was a great shooting team this year, but there's been this chorus of "only Loyd can score for them," even though in the Tournament games it was often the other players doing the major scoring. Turner led the nation in shooting, and Allen, Reimer, and Westbeld were all well over 50%. Mabrey and Cable are the perimeter shooters who definitely do worse when they go inside the arc. But this does not seem like a poor-quality all-thumbs team that some posters want to make out. Loyd did have teammates to pass to who could score, and she averaged about 3 assists a game, which is decent. Just think that in crunch times when opponents were determined to shut Loyd down, making use of the other players better would have been the way to go. On NC night everyone on both teams seemed determined to blow lay-ups but that's a special situation and there were many more games in the season.

 

[Striper69]

I'll add a little more conjecture....

There were lots of agents, former WCBB players, foreign team reps, and WNBA players and staff hanging around the Final Four. I wonder if one or more third parties isn't responsible for JL's apparent change of heart.

I'm going to be interested to see who her agent turns out to be.... and what he/she might have told/promised JL could be obtained for her. Same agent as Diggins????

Could the WNBA folks from Seattle or Tulsa have given her an indication of where she might wind up and what the promotional opportunities might be? (Seattle's draft options certainly improved dramatically this week!) Could a foreign team have shown an interest? (Yes, she would be just as entertaining in Europe as she is here!) Nike?

Or maybe it's something else. Are there coaching changes coming at ND (an assistant leaving) or players that might transfer (Reimer?). Did JL see her role at ND changing next year? Are there physical issues we're not aware of? Has she already done something that would jeopardize her amateur status for next year? Does she think a year in the pros would improve her Olympic team prospects?

I hate to be cynical... but 99 times out of a hundred it's about the $$$.

I think she read my posts on this board....



j/k

 

[CocoHusky]

I'll add a little more conjecture....

There were lots of agents, former WCBB players, foreign team reps, and WNBA players and staff hanging around the Final Four. I wonder if one or more third parties isn't responsible for JL's apparent change of heart.

I'm going to be interested to see who her agent turns out to be.... and what he/she might have told/promised JL could be obtained for her. Same agent as Diggins????

Could the WNBA folks from Seattle or Tulsa have given her an indication of where she might wind up and what the promotional opportunities might be? (Seattle's draft options certainly improved dramatically this week!) Could a foreign team have shown an interest? (Yes, she would be just as entertaining in Europe as she is here!) Nike?

Or maybe it's something else. Are there coaching changes coming at ND (an assistant leaving) or players that might transfer (Reimer?). Did JL see her role at ND changing next year? Are there physical issues we're not aware of? Has she already done something that would jeopardize her amateur status for next year? Does she think a year in the pros would improve her Olympic team prospects?

I hate to be cynical... but 99 times out of a hundred it's about the $$$.

This seems like alot of information to put together, process, weigh pro & cons enough to change your mind in 24 hours to me.

 

[j66kicker]

Very much surprises me. Although declaring before the deadline while having the option to withdraw before the Draft sounds like a smart move. See what her options are. She may go ahead and go through with it, but this gives her more time to feel out her options.

I think if she was just taking more time to weigh her options, then ND wouldn't have put together that press release with quotes from both her and Muffet.

On hoping this doesn't become a trend, it will if WBB ever catches on with mainstream USA sports fans and the WNBA becomes a profit-making enterprise that can pay its players. Right now for most players and coaches it's just more cushy at the college level.

 

[Hope]

Love this! Anything bad for Notre Dame is good.

No, it's really, really, really good.

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't know, still seems like a chicken-and-egg question. ND was a great shooting team this year, but there's been this chorus of "only Loyd can score for them," even though in the Tournament games it was often the other players doing the major scoring. Turner led the nation in shooting, and Allen, Reimer, and Westbeld were all well over 50%. Mabrey and Cable are the perimeter shooters who definitely do worse when they go inside the arc. But this does not seem like a poor-quality all-thumbs team that some posters want to make out. Loyd did have teammates to pass to who could score, and she averaged about 3 assists a game, which is decent. Just think that in crunch times when opponents were determined to shut Loyd down, making use of the other players better would have been the way to go. On NC night everyone on both teams seemed determined to blow lay-ups but that's a special situation and there were many more games in the season.

You maybe on to something there. I expected to see Jewell way out in from in terms of shot attempts but she was not . Allen was only 31 shots behind and shot it significantly better 52% vs. 44%. Over the course of the year perhaps the ND staff should have "adjusted" leaning more on Allen and Turner.

 

[Striper69]

You maybe on to something there. I expected to see Jewell way out in from in terms of shot attempts but she was not . Allen was only 31 shots behind and shot it significantly better 52% vs. 44%. Over the course of the year perhaps the ND staff should have "adjusted" leaning more on Allen and Turner.

Both Allen and Turner kind had the "deer in the headlights" look Monday and Jewell was getting dogged on defense.

Recipe for disaster, I'm afraid.

 

[NewCorn]

Given the capricious nature of playing women's basketball (injury-wise), Kia would be crazy to stay in school and pass up a lucrative overseas contract. UConn's coaching is great, but the goal of the program is to mold a team and win a college championship. That has little relevance to a young woman who has a very short period of time to turn her basketball skills into a big payday. The same can be said for Morgan Tuck, who has a much greater chance of injury than Kia. Taking into account the current state of the women's game, it seems a lock that both of these players will leave after their junior years. It also seems certain that the most talented European players will elect to play professionally in Europe instead of attending college in the U.S., particularly since a career in the WNBA has such little financial reward. This is a new era; the women's game is catching up in lots of ways.

Where is the "dislike" button on this site?

 

[GoUconn7961]

Ha ha

LaChina Robinson is in troll mode.

LaChina Robinson ‏@Lives2Inspire

Jewell Loyd has decided to leave early for the @WNBA. It's sad that she will never receive the college POY awards that she earned THIS year.

Wow! That is HARSH and uncalled for..

 

[CocoHusky]

Both Allen and Turner kind had the "deer in the headlights" look Monday and Jewell was getting dogged on defense.

Recipe for disaster, I'm afraid.

In the imortal words of Doris I thought Turner comported herself quite well.

 

[NewCorn]

Skylar's facial expressions and demeanor convey a sense of arrogance. Jewell doesn't have that.

I obviously don't know either, but as a casual fan, I find one much more likable than the other.

Guards may be a dime a dozen, but some guy named Jordan was worth a building full of dimes.

I could have tolerated Skylar's facial expressions much better if she had been wearing a UConn uniform.

 

[vtinct]

I for one, am shocked. Loyd was one of the few Irish I thoroughly enjoyed watching. She has a beautiful style of play, for the most part and she seems like a really good kid. I wish her the best and especially understand and respect her if this decision is motivated but her family's financial situation. If she were to have stayed however, and go #2 after Stewie next year, it was my understanding that the #1-3 players drafted make a relatively similar salary. Does anyone know if this is true? And if so, would the fact that she would be drafted at #2 make a huge difference in endorsement deals as opposed to deals she may make at #1 this year?

Obviously, I like UConns chances of a fourth title even more now but Jewel was good for women's college basketball and for that, I'm sorry to see her go early.

 

[ctdad]

Both Allen and Turner kind had the "deer in the headlights" look Monday and Jewell was getting dogged on defense.

Recipe for disaster, I'm afraid.

Not sure why you said that about Turner. She was 7-9 from the floor with double digit rebounds plus a block or 2. She played fine. Reimer had more of the deer in the headlights look to me offensively, although she also had double digits in rebounds.

 

[JoePgh]

I have several thoughts about this general topic, less about Jewell than about whether this is the start of a trend and whether it could affect UConn.

1. Regarding Jewell herself, her family situation (which I and probably everyone here knows nothing about) might or might not be a critical factor. When Epiphanny Prince skipped her senior year a few years ago, it was because her mother lived in a high-crime neighborhood and it was urgent for Piph to earn enough money to enable her mother to move out of there. I doubt if Jewell is in a comparable situation, but if there is some family illness or any other situation that requires or would benefit from a quick cash infusion, then that is certainly a valid reason for her to make this decision.

2. You have to be a REALLY good basketball player in the women's game for the WNBA plus winter income to be enough to offset the long-term economic advantage of a college degree. Jewell might be at or close to that level, but I doubt that many players are, so it is unlikely to become a trend.

3. Specific to UConn, I very much doubt that Kia Nurse in two years is going to be at a basketball skill level comparable to Jewell as of now. For her, as for Kalana Greene and others, taking a senior year in college (which is a pretty nice life with charter flights, plush resorts for Thanksgiving tournaments, etc.) makes a lot more sense.

4. Someone suggested that the risk of a career-ending injury while in college makes it irrational for any player to stay in college after she is eligible to turn pro. I would make two responses to that argument: (a) Most players who are going to have career-ending injuries have already had major injury problems by the time they are Jewell's age (e.g., Caroline Doty or Shea Ralph), and since Jewell hasn't had those problems, her risk of injury is low; and (b) the amount of money that a player can earn in a year or two before such a hypothetical injury is in most cases insufficient to offset the economic value of a college degree.

5. BUT, for someone like Morgan Tuck, who does have a history of injuries and therefore has an above-average risk of a career-ending injury, AND who will also have earned a degree by the end of next season, the calculation is different. If she looks like she will be a high pick in the WNBA draft and will command a significant foreign income, it may be perfectly sensible for her to pass up her last year of eligibility.

So I don't think that we have to worry about this becoming a major trend. But still, I hope for the sake of WCBB and interest in next year's season that Jewell reconsiders and returns to Notre Dame.