SEATTLE — The Storm acquiesced to Jewell Loyd’s trade demand and are sending the six-time WNBA All-Star to the Las Vegas Aces in a three-team deal that returns the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft and veteran center Li Yueru, a league source confirmed.

The deal also includes the Los Angeles Sparks, who receive former Washington Huskies star and Aces guard Kelsey Plum and Seattle’s No. 9 pick.

In addition to Loyd, Las Vegas gets the No. 13 pick from L.A.

ESPN was the first to report the trade.

Trading Loyd puts an end to her illustrious 10-year tenure with the Storm who selected the former Notre Dame star No. 1 overall in 2015.

Loyd ranks third in franchise history with 5,536 points, behind Sue Bird (6,802) and Lauren Jackson (6,007).

Moving on from Loyd also closes the chapter on the ‘Big Three’ era in Storm history that included Bird and Breanna Stewart who led Seattle to WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020.

Bird retired in 2022, and the next year Stewart bolted via free agency to the New York Liberty where she led the Liberty to their first ever league title last October — her third overall.

Loyd’s departure will be difficult for Storm fans considering the circumstances preceding her exit and the fact that she’s joining one of Seattle’s biggest rivals who knocked the Storm out of the first round of the playoffs last year with a 2-0 sweep.

Following the season, Loyd lodged a complaint with the team and alleged the coaching staff engaged in harassment and bullying toward players.

The Storm hired an independent law firm to investigate the claims, which found no wrongdoing, the team said in a statement on Dec. 3.

The same day, Loyd requested a trade, which put into motion arguably the biggest trade in franchise history.

The Storm, who finished fifth in the WNBA with a 25-15 record, will attempt to revive their championship hopes with returning starters Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor and Gabby Williams.

Seattle has prioritized re-signing All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike and will head to the April 14 draft with its highest pick since taking Stewart No. 1 overall in 2016.

Connecticut Huskies star Paige Bueckers is the presumed first pick in the upcoming draft and the Storm will seemingly have their choice of standouts including Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, USC forward/center Kiki Iriafen, UConn guard Azzi Fudd and LSU forward Aneesha Morrow.

In addition, Seattle is roughly $463,000 under the $1.5 million salary cap to pursue free agents. Jordan Horston and Nika Muhl, who is expected to sit out in 2025 due to injury, are also under contract next season.

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