Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made a big mistake when she came after Cleveland and Detroit.

On Monday, the WNBA announced its plans to add three more expansion teams by 2030. The three new teams will play in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030), giving the league 18 teams.

Cunningham raised her concerns during shootaround before the Fever’s 74-59 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final.

Cunningham, a seven-year veteran who spent her first six years in Phoenix, expressed skepticism over the latest choices.

“You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play? Where are they going to get excited to play and draw fans? I do think that Miami would have been a great (location). Nashville is an amazing city. Kansas City, amazing opportunity,” said Sophie Cunningham.

Sophie Cunningham spent most of the conversation questioning why the WNBA did not expand to more destination cities like Miami or Nashville.

 

She was blasted heavily.

The City of Cleveland responded to the comment on Tuesday and posted a video of Caitlin Clark admiring Cleveland when she visited for the NCAA women’s basketball final four tournament last year.

Dan Gilbert and Donovan Mitchell also joined the conversation. Detroit Lions player Dan Skipper also gave his two cents.

It got to a point where people on social media started to refer to her as “MAGA Barbie.”

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Clears Up Her Comments

Cunningham has addressed her controversial comments surrounding the WNBA’s new expansion cities amid heavy backlash from the sports world.

On Thursday, Cunningham clarified her comments, stressing that they were her “personal opinion.”

She didn’t exactly apologize for what she said; she acknowledged the historical relevance of Cleveland’s and Detroit’s former WNBA franchises.

“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,” Cunningham said. “All I was really getting at is the off-court lifestyle. And so I think that is really intriguing, I think Miami is intriguing, that’s all I was getting at. I’m thankful for what [Cleveland and Detroit’s WNBA teams] have done for the history of our sport. I think it’d be fun to get some teams outside the NBA market.

“I think people totally misread that situation. I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar working people, that’s where I come from, I’m from Missouri, I get I’m in Indiana. That’s why I’m hinting at, Broadway [in Nashville] sounds fun, Miami sounds fun, all I was getting at.”

Brittney Griner Finally Breaks Her Silence Over Alleged Caitlin Clark Comments That The WNBA Refused To Investigate

Brittney Griner speaking to reporterBrittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.

The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.

The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”

However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.

It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.

Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”

WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner

Griner Drops F-Bomb, Apologizes Amid Clark Slur RowBrittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.

The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.

Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got aw@y with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.

This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.