"This is embarrassing journalism": Fans accuse journalist of pinning blame on Noelle Quinn in Jewell Loyd’s fallout saga

Last season, Jewell Loyd fell just shy of hitting a performance-based goal in her contract. As the Seattle Storm find themselves under a microscope due to alleged mistreatment of players, fans blasted a reporter for trying to shift the blame off the former No. 1 pick.

Loyd reportedly had an incentive in her Nike contract that would see her get a bonus if she averaged over 20 points per game. The six-time All-Star posted the second-highest PPG average of her career but just missed the mark at 19.7 a night.

In a story for Beta Basket, Roberta Rodrigues cited that the reason for Loyd's shortcomings was head coach Noelle Quinn. This comes on the heels of news surfacing regarding an investigation into the Seattle Storm for accusations of player misconduct.

As this made rounds on social media, WNBA fans were quick to disagree with it. They also called out Rodrigues for her journalism practices.

"I am not going to comment on every thing you have posted but you are posting lies. This is not journalism," one fan commented.

The majority of fans were outraged to see Rodrigues attack Loyd and accuse her of reporting false information.

"Jewell’s agent has clearly stated that this is false but Roberta is hell bent on smearing Jewell’s name." One fan said.

"And I understand, you as a “journalist” have to put out a story, but all this is rushed, unintentional, and also hear say." Another fan said.

"She consistently destroys her credibility on a daily basis. Sad." Said one fan.

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Jewell Loyd's agent also chimes in on reporter's journalism practices

Fans were not the only ones to call out Roberta Rodrigues for her piece on Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn. Jewell Loyd's agent also chimed in on social media, calling out her journalism practices.

Jade-Li English replied to the story, accusing her of posting information that wasn't accurate on social media.

"I am not going to comment on every thing you have posted but you are posting lies. This is not journalism." English wrote.

Rodrigues decided to respond to English and stand up for what she had written. She claims to have spoken to people close to Loyd about Quinn's impact on her not hitting this performance bonus.

"I invite you to take a deep look into it. People from Jewell’s inner circle are saying that (blaming Noey on Jewell not meeting the bonus benchmark)," Rodrigues wrote.

Jewell Loyd only eclipsed the 20+ ppg mark once in 10 seasons, posting a career-high 24.7 points per game in 2023.

Loyd's shot volume took a slight dip this season, but she still attempted close to 17 shots a night. Also, Loyd's efficiency from the field (36%) and beyond the arc (27.4%) went down from last season.