Raising a social media presence has been an objective for the WNBA in recent years. In the prelude to this weekend’s 2017 tip-off, buzz on the social sphere is plenty.
The fun began on Friday, when Bleacher Report published an interview with Kelsey Plum, the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Several topics were highlighted, including her friendly rivalry with Markelle Fultz, a fellow Washington standout who is entering the NBA Draft this summer. Plum dished out the opening salvo:
Don’t go easy on her!
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 12, 2017
Kelsey Plum says she dominates Markelle Fultz on the court https://t.co/2SxzfrfNgu pic.twitter.com/3otn8fedCn
Fultz, an All-Pac-12 first team honoree, indeed told his followers about his winning ways:
Just want to let every one know I always win @Kelseyplum10 https://t.co/wyBSyRg0cV
— Markelle Fultz (@MarkelleF) May 12, 2017
Plum, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer for women’s basketball, may have won the Internet with her subsequent response:
Almost as delusional as the Ball family 🙄 https://t.co/vDYIh9PgYu
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) May 12, 2017
Unfortunately, a right ankle sprain will prevent Plum from playing for the San Antonio Stars in their season opener against New York. However, her sense of humor is definitely intact.
Speaking of winning, the WNBA got one thanks to an assist from Twitter. Starting on Saturday, anyone who tweets with the hashtag #WNBA or #WNBALive will get an emoji with the WNBA logo. The emoji is only accessible on Twitter’s website or mobile app, but the gesture earned a voice of approval from league president Lisa Borders:
No emoji exists for any of the WNBA’s teams yet, but having one to represent the league can only boost visibility. With seven games scheduled for opening weekend, tweets won’t be in short supply.