Jewell Loyd had challenging experience at Notre Dame despite dominance
Jewell Loyd is one of the most decorated players in Notre Dame history, and she has continued collecting awards with the Seattle Storm. But it turns out that while she dominated at Notre Dame, her time there was incredibly difficult.
In a new story from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, we learn that Loyd, a native of Lincolnwood, Illinois, wasn’t happy in part because Notre Dame wasn’t nearly as diverse as the Chicago area. It got so bad that she frequently thought about transferring only to be talked out of it by her mom, who didn’t like the idea of her sitting out a year. Keep in mind this was before the transfer portal became what it is now.
While at Notre Dame, depression and anxiety set in for the first time in her life. It wasn’t until she struck up a friendship with teammate Natalie Achonwa that she really began to feel at ease. But even that wasn’t enough to stop her from declaring for the WNBA draft after only three seasons with the Irish because of how unhappy she was.
This serves as a reminder that sometimes, people you love and care about need you to reach out. You don’t know what’s going on with them necessarily, but all they might need at that moment is someone willing to listen and offer support. Maybe that’s what you should do on this Mother’s Day weekend if you encounter such a friend or family member. It’s the least anyone can do.
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