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Jewell Loyd · By the time matchup No. 2 against the Seattle Storm had rolled around on June 27, 2024, the Indiana Fever — winners of five of their last seven — had reinvented themselves as one of the WNBA’s hottest teams. Even then, that scorching stretch wasn’t warm enough to withstand one of Jewell Loyd’s offensive heat checks. Harsh in reminding the Fever of who held 2023’s WNBA scoring crown, Loyd offsets Indiana’s numbers advantage by breaking to the far left corner, tracking an in-stride outlet pass before burying her fourth 3-pointer of the opening half. Loyd offered a new definition to the phrase “deadeye shooter,” overcoming an inadvertent eye poke that left her vision obstructed throughout. Pledging to give the rousing home crowd in Climate Pledge Arena “a show,” Loyd nonetheless fulfilled the promise through an audacious 34-point showing (on 10-of-15 shooting), five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and eye-opening efficiency from deep (six-of-nine) and from the charity stripe (eight-of-eight). Predictably on her A-game against Indiana, Loyd’s efforts here helped encourage a 2-0 start to Seattle’s record-breaking nine-game homestand. · State of Mint