Becky Hammon Considers Lineup Shift as Jewell Loyd's Struggles Continue With Aces

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon weighs former Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd's fit in the starting lineup amid early season struggles.

Jun 7, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) during the third quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In a  busy 2025 WNBA offseason, one of the more talked about moves was former Seattle Storm star guard Jewell Loyd’s blockbuster trade to the Las Vegas Aces.

The two-time champion Aces lost Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks in the offseason but felt confident in landing Jewell Loyd—whose reputation as a lights-out scorer was expected to fill the scoring gap Plum left behind.

Breaking: The Seattle Storm are trading six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multi-team move that sends three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources tell @ShamsCharania, @ramonashelburne, @alexaphilippou and @kendra__andrews. pic.twitter.com/vrHRsqBlFq

— ESPN (@espn) January 27, 2025

But since joining Las Vegas, Loyd’s production has considerably dipped. Averaging just 9.1 points per game, a stark difference from just two seasons ago when she averaged 24.7 and 19.7 in 2024. Combine that with the drastic slide in performance the Aces have taken this season, many are questioning her role on the team––including Loyd herself.

After Wednesday night's loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, Aces head coach Becky Hammon was asked if she had considered bringing Loyd in off the bench, after noticing she has only played about 15 minutes heading into the fourth quarter of the game. “Yes, it’s been talked about,” Hammon responded to the question in the post game interview, but clarified that the issue had been “brought up by her," referring to Loyd.

It doesn’t seem like any kind of formal decision has been made to move Jewell Loyd to the bench, but according to Becky Hammon, it’s something that has been talked about. https://t.co/uebVRheODw pic.twitter.com/aluC4oLAgk

— Natalie Esquire (@natfluential) June 12, 2025

Loyd’s transition hasn’t been seamless. Losing Plum disrupted the Aces’ chemistry, and a brutal 95–68 loss to the brand new expansion team Valkyries was a gut punch, where Loyd was held to 1-for-6 shooting, as Las Vegas dropped to its worst scoring night of the season.

As a recent Olympic gold medalist, the pressure to perform is high. And at 31, playing for a title contender with her contract year looming, she’s got stakes. With it still being early in the season, it’s possible coming off the bench can recalibrate Loyd to her former Seattle dominance and prove that the Aces’ bold offseason swap can still pay off.