There may not be any WNBA games on Monday night, but that didn’t stop the spice from filling the air. After a video of Skylar Diggins-Smith breaking the ankles of New York’s Didi Richards went viral on Twitter over the weekend, Jones decided to toss a bomb in Diggins-Smith’s direction and bring up the fact that despite the highlight, the Mercury had lost the game.
Yeah but caught the L…. Hyping up the wrong stuff . How about hyping my girl Betnijah!!!!! Tf https://t.co/pQUDD0r6Iy
— Jazmine Jones (@Jazmine_Jones4) June 14, 2021
That was a mistake. Diggins-Smith took issue not only with Jones’ criticism but also of the Liberty’s entire publicity strategy, rolling up a whole attack on WNBA marketing into a pretty savage tweet back at Jones.
Girl shut tf up! They can’t post a highlight? Complain to your organization, first, why they only hype one person!
— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) June 14, 2021
In addition to telling Jones to shut up, Diggins-Smith is of course referring to 2020 No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu as the “one person” whom the Liberty tend to hype up. This is something Diggins-Smith has commented on for a while, dating back to a firestorm online that began last college season when hoops trainer Alex Bazzell commented that UConn phenom Paige Bueckers would be a top-five point guard in the WNBA if she was in the league already.
The main point that Diggins-Smith seems to be getting at is that the basketball media is quick to anoint white players but not usually Black ones. Diggins-Smith is saying that rather than Jones attacking for getting featured by Bleacher Report, or complaining that teammate Betnijah Laney (who had a double-double in New York’s win) doesn’t get enough attention, that Jones should look internally at how her own team markets its players.
Diggins-Smith backed up her perspective with a subsequent tweet calling out Jones’ “crabs in a barrel a** mentality.”
Crabs in a barrel ass mentality!
— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) June 14, 2021
The Mercury and Liberty next play on Aug. 25, and it’s anyone’s guess what happens that night, as Jones followed up with some not-so-coded allusions toward letting physicality do the talking the next time these two face off.
“Girl Shut tf up” is fighting words … so what’s really good
— Jazmine Jones (@Jazmine_Jones4) June 14, 2021
Yeah y’all got the right one, I’m with all the BS!! Fuck all that talking
— Jazmine Jones (@Jazmine_Jones4) June 14, 2021
Jones seemed to get the last word in by retweeting a video of her own game-winning bucket against Phoenix from the very same game:
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) June 14, 2021
Between one second-year guard fighting for respect in the league and an established superstar who feels she’s already earned that respect, this is not a surprising fight to flare up, but it admittedly got far more amped-up than most would expect.
when’s there beef going down but it ain’t mine for once pic.twitter.com/yjtkkLqLVn
— Elizabeth Cambage (@ecambage) June 14, 2021
My MISSION during losing seasons was to cross tf outta somebody. You might win but u not gon brag about it to me
— Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) June 14, 2021
The bottom line is: if you got your ankles snatched but your team got the W…you still got your ankles snatched.
— Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) June 14, 2021
I ain’t saying nothing. But i saw it. And I’m very much looking forward to 8/25. That is all. pic.twitter.com/W72uWNWT98
— Lexie Brown (@Lexiebrown) June 14, 2021
hahahahhaa
https://t.co/QMrBq5N9Oq
— spooky g
(@gabbywilliams15) June 14, 2021
Maybe it’s just having a little extra time on a day with no games. That time off also meant players (and teams) from around the WNBA were all also on Twitter to chime in on the budding beef.
Just got off a social justice town hall and opened Twitter
— Pride = A Protest Against The Police (@Layshiac) June 14, 2021
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) June 14, 2021
Didn’t know Monday was comedy night https://t.co/KExuejYOr4 pic.twitter.com/3T1R5YxtWL
— Skylar Diggins-Smith Stan Account (@PhoenixMercury) June 14, 2021
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 14, 2021
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) June 14, 2021
0 Commentaires