Niles West has many incredible alumni, and now one of our own has brought home the gold. Jewell Loyd is a name we should all know. Loyd was a four-year starter on the varsity girls basketball team where she had been a McDonalds, MaxPreps, WBCA, and Parade Magazine All-American in 2012.  She is currently a member of the WNBA Seattle Storm and now an Olympian with a gold medal.

Loyd was a student from the graduating class of 2012. She had multiple college offers, including the one she accepted from the University of Notre Dame. There she acquired multiple accolades and went on to be the first college player drafted to the WNBA from her junior year. Loyd was the first overall pick in the 2015 WNBA draft, going straight to play with the Storm. After five successful years in the league, she got the call up to represent USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Business teacher and Loyd’s former head coach, Lou Metallo, expressed Loyd’s desire to compete for her country.

“After Seattle Storm won the title, most women go play overseas, it’s a way for them to go make more money for themselves. Loyd had a vision that she really wanted to be an Olympian and knew that she had to stay here and get better working on her skills. She sacrificed not going overseas to play just to get herself in the right physical and mental condition to get the call up,” Metallo stated.

Former girls assistant varsity basketball coach and social studies teacher Scott Baum says winning the gold medal wasn’t just because of Loyd’s talent but her work ethic.

“The coolest thing as a coach was to watch her grow in the classroom and on the court, she was always the best player here, but she was the hardest worker also. A lot of times your best player takes some time off and gets by with their talent, but she never took time off,” Baum stated.

With an average of 18.7 minutes, 16 total rebounds, and 15 assists at the Olympics, Loyd filled up the stat sheet. Her talent stood out even on this all-star team with names like Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurasi. English teacher Michael Graham talks about how playing a new position in the Olympics speaks volumes of Loyd’s dedication and hard work after he had seen her playing point guard for the duration of the tournament, which isn’t usual for Loyd.

“Her level of aggressiveness, level of self-confidence, and the way that she controls the game all showed these past few months especially playing at the point guard position. Point guard isn’t a position she usually plays, but here she is on the biggest stage in the world doing what she does best,” Graham says.