WNBA’s Jewell Loyd Requests Trade From Seattle Storm After Workplace Harassment Complaint: Reports

Seattle Storm star and franchise corner piece Jewell Loyd has requested a trade from the team after recently filing a complaint about player mistreatment, according to several reports.

Loyd, 31, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Storm in 2015 and remained the team’s biggest star following the recent retirement of Sue Bird and the departure of Breanna Stewart following the 2022 season.

The Seattle Times, Chicago Sun-Times, ESPN and other outlets reported Wednesday night that Loyd requested to be traded after an internal investigation stemming from her complaint about player mistreatment turned up “no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying,” according to the Storm.

The Storm announced the result of its internal investigation earlier Wednesday, just hours before it was reported that Loyd, a six-time WNBA All Star, wanted out from the team.

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"The Storm recently received internal allegations of potential workplace policy violations," a statement from the Seattle women’s basketball organization said, according to ESPN. "The organization retained an outside investigator to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations. The investigation has been completed and there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the Storm for comment.

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The Sun-Times reported that the Chicago native, who played college basketball at Notre Dame, was “at the center” of the investigation. The newspaper reported last month that Loyd was the player who filed the complaint against the team alleging player mistreatment by the team’s coaching staff. And the Seattle Times reported Wednesday that Loyd’s relationship with head coach Noelle Quinn has seemingly reached an “impasse” after their relationship began to crumble during the past 2024 WNBA season.

Quinn, a former WNBA player, was teammates with Loyd in Seattle from 2016 until 2018. Loyd won two WNBA Championships with Seattle in 2018 and 2020.

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Loyd, who was donned “The Gold Mamba” by the late Kobe Bryant, shot a career-low 36-percent from the field and missed the last three games of the season with a right knee injury. Meanwhile, the Storm reached a 25-15 record before getting swept in the first round of the WNBA playoffs by the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

ESPN reports that Loyd is under contract with Seattle for one more season with a salary of $249,032, before becoming a free agent ahead of the 2026 season.

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