Are Jewell Loyd's and Chennedy Carter's fates intertwined?

Beta Basket heard from sources about the future of both players

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WNBA free agency is here. Although contracts can’t officially be signed until Feb. 1, teams have been allowed to extend qualifying offers and core designations since Jan. 11. The next key date is Jan. 21, when negotiations with free agents can begin in earnest, leading up to final decisions.

One of the most notable movements so far is the Seattle Storm extending a core designation to Gabby Williams, which would guarantee the French forward a supermax salary of $249,244 if both parts agree to a deal. The Chicago Sky also made waves, sending qualifying offers to Nikolina Milić, Dana Evans and Michaela Onyenwere. Notably absent from the mix is restricted free agent Chennedy Carter

I talked to a couple of sources to get a feeling of what’s been going on behind the scenes, and learned that, in a way, Carter’s omission by the Sky might have direct impact on Jewell Loyd’s landing spot after she requested a trade from the Storm, as reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Time.

Let’s unpack it together…

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Loyd is not a priority in free agency; Carter not a priority in Chicago

The Seattle Storm is struggling to find a suitable trade for Jewell Loyd, two sources close to the situation told Beta Basket. One source said teams are hesitant to pursue her, while the other noted she’s simply not a priority in the market right now.

The consensus, however, is that Loyd will ultimately find a new home, though finalizing a deal has been more challenging than expected.