Former Niles West star Jewell Loyd is no stranger to the Sky. The two-time WNBA champion with the Storm technically has played for them already — if you count being a practice player, that is.
Loyd practiced with the Sky beginning in her junior year of high school. One thing stands out to former Sky coach/general manager Pokey Chatman, now a Storm assistant, about those sessions.
‘‘She was [expletive] amazing,’’ Chatman told the Sun-Times. ‘‘The way she moved without the ball. I just remember thinking, ‘This 16-year-old is kicking our ass.’ ’’
Loyd continued practicing with the Sky through high school, then once in a while during her three seasons at Notre Dame before declaring for the WNBA Draft in 2015.
For the Storm’s game Friday against the Sky at Wintrust Arena, Loyd had about 100 people in the stands, including a couple of AAU teams she works with, old coaches and teammates and, of course, her family.
In her ninth season, Loyd entered the game leading the WNBA in scoring at 24.7 points a game to go with 3.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Her increased production is the direct result of the Storm’s exodus of stars, similar to that of the Sky.
Like Kahleah Copper did with the Sky, Loyd watched her championship-winning teammates leave the Storm after last season. Breanna Stewart signed with the Liberty as an unrestricted free agent, and future Hall of Famer Sue Bird retired after 19 seasons.
Loyd and Copper have spent this season in leadership roles as their teams go through the rebuild process.
While former coach/GM James Wade tried to avoid a down season by bringing in veteran free agents and trading for Marina Mabrey, the Sky still find themselves tied with the Sparks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the 12-team league. The Storm, meanwhile are in last place with four rookies averaging significant minutes.
‘‘I feel like I’ve been preparing the last eight seasons to be able to be in a role like this and feel OK doing it,’’ Loyd told the Sun-Times.
Copper has taken a different path toward becoming a franchise player but is finding her own success doing it. Two weeks ago, Loyd and Copper shared the court in Las Vegas for their fifth and third All-Star appearances, respectively. Loyd was named MVP after setting an All-Star Game scoring record with 31 points.
Copper wasn’t shy when talking about how free agency is a popular topic of discussion during such events. When asked whether she had discussed the possibility of Loyd signing with the Sky as a free agent after the season, she had less to say.
‘‘Just know that I’m working,’’ Copper told the Sun-Times in Las Vegas.
Since arriving in Chicago late Tuesday, Loyd’s priority has been on spending time with friends and family. On Thursday, she brought her teammates breakfast from a new locally owned business, the Smoothie King she opened with her brother in Lincolnwood.
‘‘Here or Seattle, whatever it is, we try and support each other as much as we can,’’ Loyd said of her teammates. ‘‘And, obviously, if it’s free, it’s good.’’
AfroBasket
The Sky temporarily suspended rookie forward Sika Koné to allow her to compete with the Mali national team in AfroBasket, which started Friday in Kigali, Rwanda. In 13 games for the Sky this season, Koné has averaged 3.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in about eight minutes.
Interim coach/GM Emre Vatansever said that Koné is expected back Aug. 8 and that the Sky won’t sign anyone to a replacement contract. With season-ending injuries to Rebekah Gardner and Isabelle Harrison, that means the Sky will have 10 available players until Koné returns.
