Jewell Loyd Leaving for WNBA

[CocoHusky]

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.

Was LaChina drunk/hungover while trolling? I don't get this one at all. The season is over if you think Jewell was POY what prevents you from giving her the trophy? If she on the ESPN payroll ESPN has already named Jewell POY, is ESPN no going to go through with the award because she decided to turn pro? Why the emphasis on THIS year? Is she mad a Stewie for raking in all the other awards. If anyone follows her on twitter ask her" Why you so mad?"

 

[iamcbs]

By that way of thinking, Stewart, Jefferson, et al should go pro now as well. I like the fact the women's game keeps players around for 4 years 99% of the time.

One of the great things about women's collegiate sports is that it not the cesspool that is men's basketball and football. Women athletes are using basketball or whatever sport as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

This game also showed she has things she still needs to work on.

The major flaw in your assertion is the fact that Stewart and Jefferson aren't Draft eligible, Loyd is. As someone commented earlier in the thread, why should she stay another year? What exactly would be the benefit to her? Candace Parker came out early and it didn't hurt her one bit. Jewell Loyd has the potential to be the #1 pick in this year's draft, she obviously won't be next year. She'll have a year to work with USA Basketball to try to make the Olympic Team and just maybe she doesn't want to be in school anymore. Will a fourth straight NC loss to UConn next April in which she plays badly again, as she has in the last 3, help her any? She made the best decision for her and her family which is really all that matters.

 

[Striper69]

Oco - interesting list of possibilities - but I suspect this choice was made a while ago, and she didn't want to mess with the team's preparations and performance in the NCAAs by creating a distraction so she probably just kept it to herself.
That either she or ND mislead either the coaches/AD, or the media is the only off color aspect of keeping it secret until after the tournament.

She just told the coach she was staying as well as the ND official. Seems like a spur of the moment decision to me. Best wishes anyhow.

 

[UcMiami]

Joe - great post. And I especially like your points 2 and 4.
I would say that for a few very select players there is one more financial piece that adds to the plus side for leaving. Skylar with her twitter following and glamour was a shoe in to augment her athletic income with huge marketing opportunities, Maya with her game and perfect personality the same, EDD with her looks and back story the same, Parker, the same, DT the same, Sue - the same - I might have missed one or two players - but that is a very select universe - maybe one player every other year. I do not think, as good as Loyd is, and as much as she seems to be both bright and personable, that she falls into that select group.

 

[Striper69]

Joe - great post. And I especially like your points 2 and 4.
I would say that for a few very select players there is one more financial piece that adds to the plus side for leaving. Skylar with her twitter following and glamour was a shoe in to augment her athletic income with huge marketing opportunities, Maya with her game and perfect personality the same, EDD with her looks and back story the same, Parker, the same, DT the same, Sue - the same - I might have missed one or two players - but that is a very select universe - maybe one player every other year. I do not think, as good as Loyd is, and as much as she seems to be both bright and personable, that she falls into that select group.

All season long she's been paired with Stewart as the best WCBB players. She is in a select group.

 

[Orangutan]

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.

Maybe I'm not reading you quite correctly but...the stats I'm looking at have Jewell at 614 shot attempts and Allen at 297.

 

[CocoHusky]

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.

Joe excellent well expressed thoughts. Thank you.

 

[NewCorn]

You could be right; I don't see enough UConn games to make that judgement.

Loyd was off the entire tournament, not just Tuesday night. Jefferson was able to shut down Loyd in part by being physical with her. There was a lot of grabbing and holding that occurred. This is not a knock at the reffing, however. It was called that way the entire game on both ends and it was consistent. That's all both teams could ask for. At that point, it is up to the players to adjust. Loyd couldn't/didn't. Quite frankly, a tighter whistle probably favors UConn due to their having better quality on the bench if the starters had gotten into foul trouble.

And while Loyd was shut down, ND had open looks from other players and missed them. Reimer had several from the foul line area, shots that she has been making pretty consistently since January. They weren't dropping. That along with way too many unforced turnovers in the first half was the difference.

I just can't recall any game in which MoJeff did a lot of grabbing and holding, although she did famously cover Skylar's eyes with her hand.

 

[BlueDevils]

ACC is now wide open. I honestly can't say I'm sad to see Loyd leave. She was an incredible talent to watch but at the end of the day she always killed Duke. Next year I get to watch Asia Durr under Waltz, Diamond Deshields, the usual Uconn crew, Alexis Jones with a Baylor team that fits her style, Muffet coaching underclassman, Seasoned South Carolina team, Duke's mix of front court and back court players, UCLA freshman becoming sophomores, Texas trying to dethrone Baylor with two top 10 freshman coming in, and Ohio State adding Duke transfer Kianna Holland who is a sharp shooter that has the Skylar Diggins look. Sucks, for some, to see Jewell Loyd leave but it doesn't "hurt WCBB" completely as some are saying.

 

[CocoHusky]

Maybe I'm not reading you quite correctly but...the stats I'm looking at have Jewell at 614 shot attempts and Allen at 297.

You are correct. Thanks for the catching me on that I was looking at the minutes played column of the spread sheet not the shot attempts.

 

[UcMiami]

All season long she's been paired with Stewart as the best WCBB players. She is in a select group.

Select for skill but not in the stratosphere of marketing - that is the select group I am talking about, the ones with looks, talent and personality that inspires marketing people. Griner, Stewart, Charles, etc - great players but not the 'marketing goldmine' that a few select people represent.

 

[Orangutan]

Was LaChina drunk/hungover while trolling? I don't get this one at all. The season is over if you think Jewell was POY what prevents you from giving her the trophy? If she on the ESPN payroll ESPN has already named Jewell POY, is ESPN no going to go through with the award because she decided to turn pro? Why the emphasis on THIS year? Is she mad a Stewie for raking in all the other awards. If anyone follows her on twitter ask her" Why you so mad?"

People challenged her on that on twitter. Paraphrasing but her argument was that Stewart was the best player but Loyd had the best season because she was Notre Dame's go-to player every game. She thought Stewart was deserving but thought that Loyd was also deserving and would have liked to seen them at least split awards.

 

[Striper69]

Select for skill but not in the stratosphere of marketing - that is the select group I am talking about, the ones with looks, talent and personality that inspires marketing people. Griner, Stewart, Charles, etc - great players but not the 'marketing goldmine' that a few select people represent.

You never know- to me she's "Jordanesque". Look how far he went...

and we've yet to see how Stewart fares in that regard.

 

[UcMiami]

She just told the coach she was staying as well as the ND official. Seems like a spur of the moment decision to me. Best wishes anyhow.

I think it seems like a final decision, rather than a move that gives her until 5 days before the draft to make it final, and this is such a monumental decision that I would hope it took longer the 24 hours to make. And there were a few quotes right after the game that in retrospect ring strange - referring to ND as 'they' and 'the team' and not 'we'. And at the time the level of love she was showing to Uconn players after the final whistle at the time surprised me, and in retrospect has almost a 'goodbye' look as in 'I am gone from college.'

 

[CocoHusky]

People challenged her on that on twitter. Paraphrasing but her argument was that Stewart was the best player but Loyd had the best season because she was Notre Dame's go-to player every game. She thought Stewart was deserving but thought that Loyd was also deserving and would have liked to seen them at least split awards.

That is a fair enough position to take (split the awards) but the voting is over now and it did not go her way. She needs to get over it IMO!

 

[UcMiami]

You never know- to me she's "Jordanesque". Look how far he went...

and we've yet to see how Stewart fares in that regard.

He went very far, but not based on college - it was his game in the pros that elevated him as it will have to for Loyd. Definitely a possibility, but I doubt something that will lead to big paydays in her first year.

 

[Striper69]

He went very far, but not based on college - it was his game in the pros that elevated him as it will have to for Loyd. Definitely a possibility, but I doubt something that will lead to big paydays in her first year.

If she goes to Seattle with Sue Bird getting her easy shots (and maybe teaming with Zowie B.) it could lead to a lot of things.

 

[CocoHusky]

I think it seems like a final decision, rather than a move that gives her until 5 days before the draft to make it final, and this is such a monumental decision that I would hope it took longer the 24 hours to make. And there were a few quotes right after the game that in retrospect ring strange - referring to ND as 'they' and 'the team' and not 'we'. And at the time the level of love she was showing to Uconn players after the final whistle at the time surprised me, and in retrospect has almost a 'goodbye' look as in 'I am gone from college.'

The 2015 WNBA Draft is April 16th. 5 days before that is tomorrow April 10th. If she were to change her mind and comeback to ND that would be a dramatic reversal or a dramatic reversal all within 72 hours. I don't see that happening. Jewell is gone IMO. Wait. ...Maybe???... I didn't see the first reversal coming either.

 

[OneTrickPony]

That's my thinking at this point. We'll see what happens as the Draft gets closer.

My advice to her would have been to preserve her WNBA option and sort out her feelings after the dust settles...

 

[NewCorn]

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.

I thought Turner was really cool for a freshman. That kid going to be great.

 

[HGN]

As much as I dislike Notre Dame and some of their players, I always liked and respected Jewell, both as a player and a person, so this is a big loss for Women's College Basketball in my mind. She has probably been one of my favorite non-UConn players to watch the past few years and I wish her the best moving forward, but man is this a blow for both Notre Dame and WCBB in general. I really hope this doesn't indicate a shift over the next few years as more players declare early and that this is just an isolated decision.

Either way, best of luck Jewell!

I think this will be a new trend CTGirl.........Especially for all those girls who don't see a NC in the picture the next year. I feel that if Jewell hadn' been knocked out by UConn for 3 straight years , and was having fun at ND , she would have stayed. But frustration set in and she possibly felt that next year wasn't going to be any different than this one.........And she probably is right.

 

[NewCorn]

People challenged her on that on twitter. Paraphrasing but her argument was that Stewart was the best player but Loyd had the best season because she was Notre Dame's go-to player every game. She thought Stewart was deserving but thought that Loyd was also deserving and would have liked to seen them at least split awards.

Ok, I'll settle for a three-way split with MoJeff getting one-third of the award. "The Wind" had 100 steals and only 62 turnovers. Isn't that ratio some kind of record?

 

[NewCorn]

Ah, the truth comes out. UConn fans' issues with Skylar were not her facial expressions, it was the fact that she led teams that had the audacity to beat the Huskies on a somewhat regular basis.

I especially disliked her facial expressions after she blocked one of Bria's layups.

 

[Wbbfan1]

South Bend TV Video on Jewel leaving http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/Jewell-Loyd-declares-for-WNBA-draft-299131051.html

 

[Dougie]

Wow, I'm really disappointed to hear about Jewel l turning pro. ND will definitely fall back a bit.

I am too. This combined with another Notre Dame loss to UCONN, the fact Geno and Muffet have patched things up a little bit, that Notre Dame was pretty gracious in defeat and the fact that a lot of the Notre Dame kids seem genuinely nice (particularly Lloyd) has stirred some compassion in me. I'm not fist pumping that Lloyd is leaving. Is the rivalry coming to an end?

 

[CocoHusky]

Ah, the truth comes out. UConn fans' issues with Skylar were not her facial expressions, it was the fact that she led teams that had the audacity to beat the Huskies on a somewhat regular basis.

Legit reason in my book! In fact it probably started when she had the audacity to stay home and play instead of coming to UCONN. And then there was the time she blew off Holly Rowe and did not want to interview when her team was losing and did she really have to swat at the camera to fix her hair like that and then there are the picture of her in the Bikini and then there is that lame thing she did with Nick Cannon on Wilding Out , and there the car that JayZ bought her for graduation-did we ever verify if she really graduated? and she not all that cute anyway, And then there was that lame skit with Drake-He's not a legit rapper anyway he's from Canada, then there was the Olympic trials and I don't think it was fair that Bria and Stef got sent home before her and then there was the rioting at the HS BB game with her father coaching? well she probably started it or at least she didn't do anything to stop it.... why can't she just pick a hair color and stick with it every time I look up she got new hair- probably not her real hair anyway..... and then there is the suggestively placed tattoo which I could never quite read or make out ......

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I am too. This combined with another Notre Dame loss to UCONN, the fact Geno and Muffet have patched things up a little bit, that Notre Dame was pretty gracious in defeat and the fact that a lot of the Notre Dame kids seem genuinely nice (particularly Lloyd) has stirred some compassion in me. I'm not fist pumping that Lloyd is leaving. Is the rivalry coming to an end?

I'll try and get you riled up before the Huskies come to Columbia next season so that you can have a new team to dislike. I hope that game is going to take place before the conference season rolls around.

 

[cferraro04]

Is there any doubt that Diamond DeShields will turn pro after her Junior year???? I say none!!!!

 

[CocoHusky]

Is the rivalry coming to an end?

No I think at best you taking about a 1 year hiatus. Turner appears to be legit. All ND will need is for one of the incoming this year or next to become legit also. I would not bet against either Mabrey or Ogunbowale becoming legit. In one year we are in the (Post Stewie) PS era-much more wide open. Renewed hope for everyone even Lady Vols.

 

[chrissaran]

It was announced that Jewell is making herself available for the N.B.A. draft. I'm not sure how it works, but if she doesn't sign with an agent, it's possible she could withdraw from the draft. Without her, Notre Dame has no chance of winning the National Championship; however, they will once again have a strong team. Turner was impressive in the second half, but she will get a lot more attention without Jewell - double and triple teams.