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WNBA star feels social media sting after Lonzo Ball tweet

By DOUG FEINBERG

AP Basketball Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — 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.”

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.”

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