Eagle-eyed WNBA fans react as controversy-ridden Storm duo Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith sit far apart at UConn-Notre Dame showdown
Seattle Storm stars Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jewell Loyd played one season together at Notre Dame. The former was in her last year with the Fighting Irish, while the latter was in her first year of college basketball. They became teammates again in the WNBA when Diggins-Smith joined the Storm in 2024.
On Thursday, the two watched Notre Dame pull off a 79-68 upset against the UConn Huskies. Fighting Irish fans noted that they were on opposite ends of the court during the game. They were also apart when former Notre Dame players posed for a photo.
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Fans reacted to the rumored rift between Skylar Diggins-Smith and Loyd:
“Skylar and Jewell staying away from each other got me weak” one fan wrote.
One fan said:
“Jewell Loyd not sitting with Skylar, Arike and Marina bout to be a storyline. It might be already lol”
Another fan added:
“quick, somebody go find holly rowe and get her to ask jewell loyd and skylar diggins-smith some questions!”
One fan continued:
“ESPN doing the Storm dirty by showing Skylar Diggins Smith and Jewell Loyd both at the Notre Dame game … sitting completely separately in different shots”
Another fan commented:
“Jewell not sitting court side with the rest of the old Norte Dame players because Skylar sitting there”
The controversy started in mid-November when the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Seattle Storm are investigating their coaching staff. Jewell Loyd was allegedly the source of complaints about coaches mistreating some of the players.
The Storm hired an external legal firm to dig into the issue, which resulted in no infractions committed. Loyd recently asked to be traded following the conclusion of the investigation.
Skylar Diggins-Smith wrote a since-deleted Instagram story:
“Don’t tell a lie on me…
“I won’t tell the truth ‘bout you…”
Speculations continue about the rift between the two Seattle Storm stars who guided their team to the 2024 playoffs. Loyd and Diggins-Smith sitting apart during Thursday’s game between Notre Dame and UConn have only added fire to the rumors.
Skylar Diggins-Smith shared Tina Thompson’s seeming shot at Jewell Loyd on Instagram
During the Seattle Storm investigation of alleged player mistreatment, another Jewell Loyd news story came out. Beta Basket reported that Loyd failed to get a bonus performance from Nike after her scoring average fell below 20.0 points per game. Roberta Rodrigues wrote:
“The perception from those close to Loyd is that [Storm head coach] Noelle Quinn is responsible for her not hitting that benchmark, therefore not earning the additional money.”
Tina Smith reacted to the report on Instagram:
“Sit with that!
“Example:
“Shooting 36% from the field and 27% from the 3pt is not the coaches fault! It’s simple…be more efficient!
“Basketball analogies are always the best analogies! 👊🏽”
The stats the WNBA referred to were the 2024 averages of Loyd. The six-time All-Star put up 19.7 PPG on 36.0% shooting, including 27.4% from deep.
Skylar Diggins-Smith reacted and shared Thompson’s post IG via an Instagram story:
The Seattle Storm have not commented on Loyd’s reported trade request. If no deal happens, she remains teammates with Skylar Diggins-Smith.
