Cleveland and Detroit Basketball Communities Issue Detailed Responses to Sophie Cunningham’s Recent Comments on Potential WNBA Expansion, Sparking Widespread Discussion Among Fans and Analysts About the Implications for the Future Growth and Direction of the Women’s Professional Basketball League in the United States.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The folks in Cleveland and Detroit are pushing back on Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham with some civic pride after Cunningham questioned the league’s choice of expansion to those markets.

The social media accounts for each city posted responses to Cunningham, who said Tuesday she wasn’t sure “how excited people are to be going to Detroit or (Cleveland).”

The X account for Cleveland posted a video of Fever star Caitlin Clark talking about having a good time in Cleveland during the 2024 Final Four in college, noting: “Sophie, your teammate doesn’t seem to think Cleveland is too bad!”

As for Detroit, the city posted on X about the former Shock franchise’s strong attendance record and noted: “Detroit is a sports town.”

The WNBA on Monday announced its plans to add three more expansion teams by 2030. The league already had plans to add franchises in Toronto and Portland next season. The three new teams will play in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030), giving the league 18 teams.

Cunningham, a seven-year veteran who spent her first six years in Phoenix, expressed skepticism over the latest choices, two of which — Cleveland and Detroit — have already seen WNBA franchises come and go.