Sophie Cunningham drew some criticism earlier this week over the way she reacted to news that the WNBA is expanding, and the Indiana Fever guard has since tried to clarify her stance.
The WNBA announced on Monday that the league has plans to expand to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia for the 2028 season. When asked about the news, Cunningham questioned whether the right cities were chosen for new WNBA teams. She suggested that Miami, Nashville, and Kansas City might have been better choices because there is more to do in those cities.
“I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland],” Cunningham said.
Fans in Detroit and Cleveland were not happy with the comments. Cunningham was even called out by a Detroit Lions player.
Cunningham then backtracked on Thursday — sort of.
“First of all, I know the history behind the WNBA. I know that both of those cities have had teams before and they got us to where we’re at, so I’m thankful for that,” she said. “All I was really getting at is, like, Broadway, the off-court lifestyle, so I think that is really intriguing. I think Miami is intriguing. That’s all I was getting at.”
Cunningham added that she thinks there might be some benefit to having WNBA teams in cities that do not already have NBA teams. She said she meant no disrespect to people who live in Detroit and Cleveland.
“I think people totally misread that situation. I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar working people,” Cunningham said. “That’s where I come from. I’m from Missouri. I get that I’m in Indiana, and that’s kind of why I’m hinting at Broadway sounds fun, Miami sounds fun. That’s all I was getting at.”
Fever wing Sophie Cunningham offers clarifying thoughts about her comments on WNBA expansion from earlier this week: pic.twitter.com/pkXuXywI6E
— Tony East (@TonyREast) July 3, 2025
Cunningham’s clarification was not really a whole lot different from her initial response. While she acknowledged that Detroit and Cleveland already have a history with the WNBA, she clearly feels the league would benefit from having teams in cities that players might find more attractive.
NBA teams in smaller markets consistently have a difficult time attracting top talent, especially in free agency. Cunningham believes there might be similar issues for the WNBA down the road.
