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Hey, Joe Budden: Bet on women to stick up for their league

2018 MVP Breanna Stewart sends a simple but sharp reminder when the podcaster overlooks the WNBA.

By Karleigh Webb
WNBA Finals - Game Three
Breanna Stewart took exception to the claims that Seattle lacks a professional basketball team.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Social media has few formal rules, but many unwritten ones. Perhaps the most prominent of these is that correction can mean castigation, especially if the corrector is a female athlete.

Seattle Storm guard and 2018 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart ran into this axiom Monday.

REVOLT X AT&T Host REVOLT 3-Day Summit In Los Angeles - Day 1
Joe Budden tweeted that Seattle “deserves a basketball team”, when he meant that the town should get an NBA team
Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for REVOLT

It began with a tweet from former rap artist turned cultural critic and podcaster Joe Budden. He’s been live-tweeting his takes on the engaging ESPN documentary series on the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls dynasty “The Last Dance.” When Budden was noting the look back at the 1996 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Seattle Supersonics (remember them?), Budden echoed the sentiments of many in the Emerald City who saw their franchise move from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. His tweet on the segment said, “Seattle deserves a basketball team.”

More than a few fans took exception, noting that just two years ago, a Seattle pro basketball team won a championship — The WNBA’s Storm. Stewart, the 2018 WNBA Finals MVP, reinforced that point with just three words.

It was a simple statement of fact. It could have just ended there, but it didn’t. Just like in April.

One week after the WNBA held their landmark virtual live draft, NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted that the NFL Draft was the first “real live sporting event” since the coronavirus lockdown. Those who make it a point to dismiss the WNBA did so again.

Many took a tone such as this:

Stewart’s simple, factual response generated over 1,100 tweets. Storm fans and supporters did outnumber the trolls in many respects. Some stated that they felt Budden meant no offense, but took exception to those who used the moment as a license to offend.

Minnesota Lynx v Seattle Storm - Game One
Jewell Loyd, shown here guarding Seimone Augustus, challenged Budden to come to a Storm practice and says she’s ready to take him on.
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Stewart didn’t respond beyond the initial tweet, but one of her teammates and Budden barbequed some “Twitter beef.” Storm guard Jewell Loyd, the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2015 and the heir-apparent to legendary point guard Sue Bird, challenged Budden, and he responded in kind.

What do you think? Are you Team Budden or Team WNBA? Tell us in the comments!

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