Jewell Loyd

Jewell Blessing Loyd was born in Lincolnwood, Illinois. On October 5, 1993, to Gwendolyn Davis-Loyd and Calvin Loyd. Loyd has an older brother Jarryd Loyd. She attends Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, where she averaged 24.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and scored 3,077 career points, leading the team to a 93–31 record during that time. Loyd attended Norte Dame, where she was named ESPN's women's college basketball player of the year. After college Loyd was draft number 1 pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm, where she is currently playing. Loyd was close to the late and great Kobe Bryant, who was her mentor, and it's also where she got her nickname "Gold Mamba"; Loyd is also an advocate for Eye to Eye, a program that helps kids with learning disabilities. Loyd was diagnosed in high school with dyslexia.