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Las Vegas Aces star Jewell Loyd's mother, Gwendolyn Davis Loyd, responded to the backlash she received after posting a photo with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham and the Fever were in Las Vegas on Sunday to face the Aces. Las Vegas won 89-81. Following the game, Jewell Loyd's mother tweeted a couple of photos with Cunnigham.
“When you run into the Ms. Sophie Cunningham! Yes suh," Loyd wrote.
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The post generated backlash as several fans threw shots at Loyd. Several fans mocked Loyd's appearance, and some said she is leveraging Fever fans to gain All-Star votes for her daughter.
Loyd engaged with several of the posts, and on Tuesday, she indicated that she would stop "entertaining" those who continue to throw shots at her.
"Urgent! Let me go there! I’m not going to entertain anyone who continues to blast and slam me for taking a picture with Sophia Cunningham- I have always been a supporter of Women Basketball and I will continue! I take optics with any player I want! Move on," Loyd tweeted.
Jewell Loyd, whom Las Vegas acquired in a blockbuster trade this season, finished Sunday's game with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists on 5-for-11. On the other hand, Cunningham was scoreless in 17 minutes off the bench.
Jewell Loyd has struggled in her first season with the Aces
Across 13 games with the Las Vegas Aces, Jewell Loyd is averaging 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Even though she is shooting a career-best 41.3% from the 3-point range, her production has dipped across the board.
In the postgame interview following the 97-89 home loss to the LA Sparks on June 11, Aces coach Becky Hammon talked about Loyd's struggles and a solution that the six-time WNBA All-Star suggested.
"I think she's getting good looks, she has just missed them," Hammon said about Loyd and a possible bench role. "Yes, it has been talked about, brought up by her."
Loyd, 31, is in the final season of her two-year, $491,016 contract. The two-time WNBA champion was expected to be the replacement of three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, who was traded to the Sparks in the offseason.
The Aces (6-7) aim to bag a second straight win as they host the Connecticut Sun (2-12) on Wednesday.
