Elena Delle Donne is no stranger to the joys and pitfalls of social media. The Washington Mystics star saw both sides of it Friday night.
This Feb. 10, 2017 file photo shows Elena Delle Donne speaking during a news conference in Washington. Delle Donne is no stranger to the joys and hatred of social media. The Washington Mystics star saw both sides when she sent a tweet about Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and his famous $495 shoe. Delle Donne thought she was just having fun, but plenty of folks didn’t take it that way. They took her remark to mean she wanted Ball to be injured. Actually, she was just joking about his shoe. She says she thinks of herself as a “funny person,” and there’s no way she would want someone to be injured.
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne shoots over Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Uncasville, Conn.
(Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP)
Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP
Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas (25) fouls Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, July 8, 2017, in Uncasville, Conn.
(Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP)
Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP
Dallas Wings forward Kayla Thornton (6) and Washington Mystics guard Elena Delle Donne (11) dive after a loose ball during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
(Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP
Dallas Wings forward Theresa Plaisance (55) attempts to get the rebound between Washington Mystics guard Elena Delle Donne (11) and center Krystal Thomas (34) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
(Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP
Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne, right, poses for a picture with, from left, teammate Tayler Hill, Mystics owner Ted Leonsis, coach Mike Thibault, and part-owner Sheila Johnson during a news conference in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. Delle Donne was acquired by the Mystics from the Chicago Sky this month in one of the biggest trades in the WNBA’s history.
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
FILE – In this July 22, 2016, file photo, Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne, right, drives as Connecticut Sun forward Morgan Tuck defends during a WNBA basketball game in Rosemont, Ill. There have been three trades in the last five days and at least one more is set to be done soon with Delle Donne heading to Washington according to two people familiar with the situation. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized yet.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File
FILE – In this May 5, 2016, file photo, Chicago Sky’s Elena Delle Donne looks to pass during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Uncasville, Conn. Delle Donne is returning home from China because of a flare up of Lyme Disease. The Chicago Sky star announced in a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, that she would be coming back to the United States.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File
United States’ Brittney Griner, front left, lifts teammate Elena Delle Donne after they defeated Spain in a women’s gold medal basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
AP Photo/Eric Gay
United States’ Elena Delle Donne, left, is fouled by Japan’s Ramu Tokashiki, right, during a quarterfinal round basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
United States guard Elena Delle Donne, left center, sits on the bench during the second half of a women’s basketball game against China at the Youth Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Delle Donne did not play due to a pre game eye poke by a teammate.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
United States guard Elena Delle Donne talks with head coach Geno Auriemma during the first half of a women’s basketball game against Spain at the Youth Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) and forward Elena Delle Donne walk to the bench during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun on Friday, July 22, 2016, in Rosemont, Ill. The Sun won 94-89.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne, top, battles Phoenix Mercury guard Alex Harden for control of a loose ball during a WNBA basketball game in Phoenix, Arix., Tuesday, July 19, 2016.
(Ben Moffat/The Arizona Republic via AP)
Ben Moffat/The Arizona Republic via AP
This June 25, 2015 file photo shows Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird in action against the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA basketball game in Seattle. Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings will play in their fourth Olympics, anchoring the U.S. women’s basketball team heading to the Rio Games in August. The trio was among 12 players named to the team that was announced Wednesday morning, April 27, 2016, a group that included first-time Olympians Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart.
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Elena Delle Donne is no stranger to the joys and pitfalls of social media.
The Washington Mystics star saw both sides of it Friday night. She was having a little fun watching Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and his $495 shoe when Los Angeles played its first summer league game.
She tweeted out “How great would it be if (Lonzo Ball) blewout his shoe in his first summer league game? Should have gone with @Nike.”
How great would it be if @ZO2_ blew out his shoe in his first summer league game? should have gone with @Nike
Delle Donne, who has her own player exclusive shoe with Nike, had no idea what was coming over the next hour. Her tweet drew 2,000 likes and 800 retweets. It also had 459 comments, mostly negative.
“I was getting killed. Got to love it, though,” she told The Associated Press on Saturday at the Mystics shootaround before their game against Connecticut. “It was a joke, I like to mess around, think of myself as a kind of funny person.
“All the hype around the BBBs. How many times have athletes blown out a shoe? A shoe? Not talking injury. People were taking it like I wanted him to get hurt. Are you kidding me? I want him to have a great future. It’s so funny. One joke and it’s like, phew. Guess he’s got a lot of fans already.”
Delle Donne is in her first season with Washington after spending four in Chicago. She has helped the Mystics to a 10-7 mark and was second in early All-Star voting last week just behind Maya Moore.
She’s been active on Twitter the last few years, constantly engaging with fans. In this case, she didn’t mind the good-natured response, but took exception when people were twisting her tweet and suggesting she wanted Ball to get hurt.
“Most of the time I look at it and go, ‘oh, my gosh’ and let it go,” she said. “But when it gets to a point where they take it out of context with me wanting him to get injured, absolutely not! I have to correct that. I would never wish that on any human being. That’s where you get a little frustrated by it. I didn’t say that. So don’t take my words and stretch it to something that it’s not.”
Let’s get it straight people! I’m not talking about him getting hurt! Give me a break! I’m talking about his BBB shoe tearing.
The response to the Ball comment was nearly double what she’s had for most of her other tweets this year. A photo of her at the post-inauguration women’s march drew about 1,000 likes and a picture of her with her dog Wrigley at the vet had a third as many.
“It’s so odd. Different things that get traction. It’s social media for you, it’s the world we live in. It gives everyone a voice,” she said. “It’s crazy how things can be taken out of context, too. It was seriously a joke about a sneaker. I know all the technology that goes into shoe making.”
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