WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham Issues Apology
WNBA star Sophie Cunningham issued an official apology on Thursday afternoon.
Cunningham, a 28-year-old guard for the Indiana Fever, said Tuesday that she didn't "know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]," while referencing Miami, Nashville and other U.S. cities. The WNBA announced earlier this week that it would be expanding to three new cities - Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia.
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"You want to listen to your players, too," she said. "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.
"I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast. I think that that's also another thing. It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."
Cunningham, a seven-year WNBA veteran, spent the first six years of her career in Phoenix. She's in her first season in Indianapolis, after getting traded by the Mercury this offseason.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 11: Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever speaks to the media during an introductory press conference on March 11, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)On Thursday, Cunningham apologized and attempted to clarify her comments. She said that she never meant any disrespect toward blue collar people. Cunningham grew up in Columbia, Missouri, hardly a major U.S. city.
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Cunningham made it clear on Thursday that she didn't intend for any disrespect toward those cities.
"All I was really getting at was broadway, the off-court lifestyle," Cunningham said. "I think it would be fun to get some teams outside of the NBA market...I think people totally misread situation. I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar people."
The WNBA considered a number of different cities for expansion. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Monday that Miami, Nashville, Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Charlotte, Denver and Austin, Texas all made bids for expansion.
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The league will start with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia moving forward.
WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham Issues Apology first appeared on The Spun on Jul 3, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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