Your pump lid o-ring is the likely fix.

Check the pump lid o-ring first. After cleaning the basket, you probably didn’t reseat it perfectly, or it’s dried out and no longer sealing.

Air getting in is what kills prime. That tiny rubber ring between the lid and the housing is the most common leak point. Remove it, clean both the ring and the groove, then apply a little silicone lubricant (not petroleum jelly—it eats rubber). Hand-tighten the lid only, not with tools.

If that doesn’t do it, check the drain plug underneath the pump pot. Those plastic plugs crack easily. But 9 times out of 10, it’s the lid o-ring.

A thin film of silicone lube every season prevents this headache.