Aces’ Jewell Loyd Contract Is Starting to Look Like a Costly Mistake
Jewell Loyd came to the Las Vegas Aces in a blockbuster trade that sent Kelsey Plum to LA and the second-overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm. Her Aces tenure got off to a rocky start, but moving to the bench helped her find her rhythm. By the time the playoffs started, Loyd was an integral part of the Aces’ success.
So, the Aces re-signed her this offseason, committing to a three-year deal worth $800,000 this season and $880,000 in 2028. That deal is starting to look pretty bad, as Loyd is having the worst season of her career. Loyd averages just 7.9 points per game for the season—the first time in her career that she’s not averaging double digits—while shooting an abysmal 35.8% from the floor and 32.6% from deep.
Loyd seems to be declining rapidly, and the Aces are now stuck with a big contract that is protected through her age-34 season and will be difficult to trade if she doesn’t bounce back quickly.
Loyd’s contract doesn’t look great compared to what other players make
Loyd is the fourth-highest-paid player on the Aces’ roster this season, but she isn’t producing like it. Her contract could also cause trouble next year when Jackie Young and NaLyssa Smith hit unrestricted free agency. Re-signing Young will be expensive, and Smith, who is on one of the best-value contracts in the league, also played her way into a significant pay raise. That would be a lot of money committed to five players.
The contract also doesn’t look great compared to what some other players across the league make. Loyd has started three games this season and has struggled mightily off the Aces’ bench. Nevertheless, she makes more than Natasha Howard, who wasn’t just an All-Star starter but also starts for the number-one team in the league, and Nia Coffey, who was a starter for the Minnesota Lynx while Napheesa Collier was out and remains an integral part of their success.
Loyd also makes more than Kiah Stokes and Kayla Thornton, starters for the second-placed Golden State Valkyries, and Jordin Canada, who starts for the fifth-placed Atlanta Dream.
The Aces need Loyd to turn things around
The Aces are trying to repeat as champions—a tall task that is even more difficult when teams like Minnesota, Indiana, and Golden State are playing their best basketball and the Aces get little production out of anyone but A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and NaLyssa Smith.
With Chennedy Carter off the team and Dana Evans injured, the Aces just won’t get a ton of production out of their bench this season. But Loyd, at least, should be someone they can rely on to get a few buckets and hit important shots.
After all, Loyd is a three-time champion and led the league in scoring in 2023. If she can look at least a little bit more like herself in time for the playoffs, it will go a long way for the Aces. She doesn’t need to be prime Jewell Loyd, but she needs to be better than she has been this season.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.