Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images You’d hope Tuesday was a wake-up call for Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
Tuesday evening, the Fever won the Commissioner’s Cup, the WNBA’s in-season tournament. Dozens of people watched, as the Fever were without Caitlin Clark due to a groin injury.
But off the court, Cunningham stole the headlines due to uninformed comments surrounding the WNBA’s upcoming expansion to Cleveland in 2028 and Detroit in 2029.
“I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or Cincinnati,” Cunningham said to wrap up an ignorant rant about the league’s upcoming expansion.
Let’s have a quick reality check here.
Despite record viewership and attendance, the WNBA lost approximately $40 million in 2024. And yet, they are still expanding.
Cunningham was so uninformed she stated that nobody wants to go to Cincinnati, which is four hours away from Northeast Ohio. Instead, she offered Miami and Nashville as alternative locations where players would actually want to go.
Detroit and Cleveland are great sports towns. Miami and Nashville are great party towns.
Sophie, this is about growing the sport. This is about giving opportunity to more women who have earned a chance to play professional basketball but would not have room on a roster since the league only has 13 teams.
Cunningham’s celebrity has skyrocketed in recent weeks after a physical altercation in defense of Clark against the Connecticut Sun. She averages 5.6 points per game. This isn’t a huge superstar here, despite her internet popularity.
In fact, it’s a player that should be careful of what she says, because she could find herself firmly planted in the mix of WNBA expansion drafts in seasons to come.
Both Detroit and Cleveland have had WNBA teams in the past, but the economic struggles of the league caused those teams to fold up. The Detroit Shock had won three WNBA titles and led the league in attendance for three straight seasons.
The city of Cleveland has morphed into a passionate basketball town because of the homegrown wonders of LeBron James. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who is a Michigan native, had some wise words for the 28-year-old guard from Missouri.
“You should support your Midwest sisters in this league and these two great cities that you’re going to come to know and love very shortly.”
The Midwest has had enough. These are great sports towns that have earned a little bit of respect. Small cities? Sure. But these are the type of markets where the WNBA can find a sliver of success.
