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coVer sTory
Loyd represents Niles West with Gold by marK gregory editorial director
@Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com
With a 90-75 win over Japan, the United States women’s Olympic basketball won its seventh consecutive Gold medal. The biggest story of the game was guards Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi winning their fifth Gold – becoming the only player, men or women, to accomplish that feat. And, while Bird and Taurasi are the storyline, there are six members of the US team in their first Olympic games – one of them being Niles West graduate Jewell Loyd. The 27-year-old Loyd, who recently made her first WNBA All-Star game this season, played a backup role to the legendary American backcourt in her first games. In the Gold medal game, she tallied three points, connecting on the only shot she attempted in the contest. “It means a lot. You know, I think the thing that is always on my head, is, you know, this is for my city in Lincolnwood, my family and friends,” Loyd said after the Gold medal game. “Those are the people I called right away, the people who’ve been with me this whole time. So, it’s a special feeling knowing that I could represent where I’m from and the people I grew up with. “This is like the highest thing you can get as an athlete. And knowing that, you know, you put your body and mind through everything it can to be at a pinnacle like this, and, you know, it definitely gives confidence. It gives you appreciation for the grind. And I’m just really happy to be part of this.” When the games began, the United States was on a mission to claim the top prize. “We came on a mission to finish with the gold and as professionals, we understand every game means
something,” Loyd said. “For me individually, I go into every game thinking of how I can impact the game as much as possible.” With Bird, 40, announcing this is her last Olympics and Taurasi, 39, possibly playing in her last games, reserve guards like Loyd could be looked at to carry the Americans into the 2024 games in Paris, France. While in Toyoko, Loyd made sure she soaked in everything she could from two of the best. “It is humbling, it is exciting and it is always a learning experience. When you step on the court with them, whether it is in practice or games, they definitely give you confidence, they give you experience and they give you wisdom and as young players trying to figure out our legacy in this league and what we bring to the table,” Loyd said. “It has been awesome to listen to them and see what works and what doesn’t work. I am not taking this experience for granted. This has been an amazing experience to play with both of them on the team together. Obviously, I get to (play) in Seattle with Sue, but we are playing with GOATs and this is pretty awesome.” Loyd and Bird share the same backcourt with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA, where they join forces with fellow Olympian Breanna Stewart. The trio helped the storm win the last two WNBA titles. “I’ve been very fortunate to play with Sue (Bird) pretty much my whole career, so learning from her has been a privilege,” Loyd said. “And then knowing that they are the best-of-the-best with her and Diana (Taurasi) here, Syl (Sylvia Fowles), their wisdom. That’s stuff that you can’t really challenge, because they have been here. They’ve done it. So, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from them. “I’ve just been taking every moment in, embracing it. Obviously, it’s not a typical Olympics, but I
COURTESY OF USA BASKETBALL (PHOTO BY NED DISHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)
niles West graduate Jewell loyd was one of six first-year olympian this year, winning a gold medal in her initial games. don’t know what it was before. This is my first experience. So, I’m feeling good. It helps when you have great leadership, and also when you are here with your best friend, Stewie
(Breanna Stewart), it makes it a lot easier. It makes you feel comfortable. The veterans have made it very easy for me just to fit in and do what I do.”
Loyd averaged 4.8 points per game in the Olympics, with her tournament-high of 12 in the 86-69 win over Japan in the preliminary round.
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sTaTe >> illinois sTaTe Fair
State Fair returns after a year off by peTer hancocK
Capitol News Illinois
After a one-year interruption last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Illinois State Fair in Springfield is set to reopen Thursday, Aug. 12, with some new attractions and new safety requirements. Among the new requirements, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II said during a media briefing Friday, will be a mask mandate at all indoor venues. “It’s important for fairgoers to know that we will be following (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines,” Costello said. “So what that means is masks will be required indoors. This includes the following buildings: the Coliseum, Expo Building, the Illinois Building, the Dairy Building, the Livestock Center, Artesian Building, Emerson Building, and the Orr Building. Again, masks will be required when indoors.” For those who arrive without masks but who plan to attend indoor events, free masks will be available at all entry gates, he said. And while it won’t be required, officials also are strongly encouraging fairgoers to wear masks in large gatherings, including the Twilight Parade, which is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Other safety measures being taken include extra hand washing stations throughout the fairgrounds, cleaning of high-touch areas, and foggers on carnival rides and grandstand seating. There will also be free vaccinations available at six locations on the
fairgrounds. State officials were forced to cancel the fair last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first time the fair had been called off since World War II. But with vaccines now widely available, and with nearly 60 percent of the state’s population over age 12 now fully vaccinated as of Friday, according to IDPH, officials said they feel comfortable the fair can go off safely this year. “I think people are just done,” Illinois State Fair manager Kevin Gordon said. “I mean, they’re tired of sitting around for a year and they’re wanting to get out. Again, we emphasize and we encourage that everyone get vaccinated to come out. But we’ll make certain that everyone out here, when they do show up, will have a safe and have a fun time.” The first major event of the fair actually happens Wednesday with the unveiling of this year’s butter cow. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the butter cow, a life-size display sculpted out of real butter that is typically fashioned around a timely theme. Masks will be required in the Dairy Building where the cow is housed. Gates to the fair officially open at 7 a.m. Thursday. Gov. JB Pritzker will join Costello and other state and local dignitaries for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. That will be followed by the Twilight parade at 5 p.m. Among the new attractions this year is a tribute to Route 66, which stretched nearly 2,500 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California,
winding its way through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California. This year marks the 95th anniversary of the establishment of that highway, one of the original roadways of the U.S. highway system. The “Route 66 Experience” at the fairgrounds will allow visitors to walk through exhibits commemorating the Illinois portion of the highway from Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge and learn about communities and attractions along the route. The fair will also feature 13 stages with free entertainment ranging from live music to pig races, a water circus in which acrobats perform 40 feet above the top of an Olympicsized swimming pool, and an assortment of sword swallowers, fire breathers and escape artists. Grandstand shows this year include country music performers Toby Keith, Kane Brown and Sammy Hagar; comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias; a Neil Diamond tribute band called the Traveling Salvation Show; a night of 90s music with Vanilla Ice and other artists; George Thorogood and others. Masks will be required for all grandstand concerts, and those in the grandstand track standing room only section will be required to provide a print or digital copy of vaccination records or a negative COVID-19 test result within three days prior to the event. A complete list of events and entertainment lineups is available on the Illinois State Fair website, www2. illinois.gov/statefair.
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