So, it is clear that despite the fallout, there is no denying Jewell Loyd’s legacy in Seattle. She was a cornerstone of the franchise’s golden era, winning titles in 2018 and 2020 alongside Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. “Jewell is a two-time champ here,” Noelle Quinn herself had said. “She did amazing things for the Storm. She’s at the top in a lot of categories. She’s an All-Star and All-WNBA. She solidified herself as one of the greats.”

Her former teammates agree. Ezi Magbegor recalled how Loyd took her under her wing during the WNBA bubble in 2020. “Jewell would say ‘I’m her rookie,’ but also followed that with action too. She checked in on me and challenged me,” Magbegor said. “What she did for Seattle is amazing. I hope people recognize that.” And others like Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb have experienced the same emotional pull of returning to Seattle, and they know how hard it can hit. “It was really emotional for me because Seattle gave me my first shot,” Whitcomb said of her own return. “I’m sure for Jewell it will be the same. She probably thought she’d spend her whole career here.”

And Whitcomb was spot on.

On Sunday, Loyd returned to the Climate Pledge Arena wearing the Aces jersey. Since it was her first game back, it naturally became a big moment. After all, she played there for a decade after being the No. 1 draft pick in 2015 and won two championships with the Storm. Before the game, a tribute video played during warmups, honoring the six-time All-Star and the franchise’s third-leading scorer. The fans gave Loyd a standing ovation both after the video and again when she was introduced with the Aces’ starters. “The fans have always been really great here. You spend 10 years somewhere, meet a lot of people, and build a lot of relationships. So it was nice to see my family out there too. My dad came. It’s cool,” Loyd said.

In a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series, where Vegas swept Seattle 2-0, the Storm came out strong to send a message. Loyd scored the Aces’ first nine points, hitting two 3-pointers and finishing a three-point play. But Seattle’s smooth, fast-paced offense kept pace with Loyd’s scoring, and in the end, the Aces just couldn’t keep up. So, it was an emotional homecoming, but the Aces were also routed 102-82, handing coach Becky Hammon one of the toughest losses of her career. Yet, it could not take away the wholesome part of it.

During the postgame conference, Loyd opened up about the emotions and events of the game. She said, “Yeah, I watched some bits and pieces. You know, my teammates were celebrating me, which is really nice and cool. Maybe I’ll watch more of it later, but right now, I’m really trying to focus on the game as much as possible and not get too emotional here or there. But no, I really appreciate it.”

Loyd finished the game with 14 points, going 4-for-15 from the field and  3-for-8 from beyond the arc. Despite her strong start–scoring the team’s first 9 points in the opening quarter– the loss made it a tough night, far from what she had hoped for. A’ja Wilson added 15 points, while Jackie Young contributed 14. The Aces now have their first non-winning start after four games since 2021. Seattle dominated, leading by as many as 27 points. This marked only the third time in coach Becky Hammon’s four seasons that the Aces suffered a 20-point loss–a night to forget for the team.

As for Noelle Quinn, she did what she had envisioned. She didn’t add any unnecessary rivalry to the game, and had also made it clear. “We’re preparing for a very good matchup in front of an amazing crowd,” coach Noelle Quinn said. “At this point, that’s a competitor over there on the sideline that we have to prepare for. So, that’s where our focus is.”

As for after the game, her remarks remained similar.

Noelle Quinn delivers a strong message as Jewell Loyd makes an emotional return

The Storm stepped on the court with one clear mission—get revenge for last year’s playoff sweep against the Aces. They exploded for 34 points in the opening quarter and hit the 100-point mark for the first time since last May. Seattle shot a blazing 60% from the field, went 8-of-16 from beyond the arc, and dished out 32 assists on 42 made shots. After the game, head coach Noelle Quinn made one thing clear.

“The focus today was us,” Quinn said postgame. “It was the Storm vs. the Aces and we knew we were playing a very good team. We have vets in the room who have been in different types of environments. Our theme last game was discipline, and if we’re talking about getting better, I don’t think there was any drop-off in that. The focus remains us.”

Jewell Loyd’s return to Seattle didn’t go as planned, and the Aces are off to a rocky start. Right now, they don’t look like the dominant force we’re used to seeing. But let’s not hit the panic button just yet. It’s still early days in the season, and momentum can shift quickly in this league. With A’ja Wilson leading the charge, this team has plenty of time to turn things around.