After drawing criticism for questioning WNBA expansion to Detroit and Cleveland, the Indiana Fever star stands by her view that lifestyle matters to players when choosing where to play.
Sophie Cunningham is clarifying her recent remarks about the WNBA’s decision to expand to Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia after she caught backlash from fans, media figures and even city officials earlier this week.
Cunningham faced criticism after suggesting that players may not be eager to play in those cities, pointing instead to places like Miami and Nashville as more appealing and “fun” destinations. Critics were quick to point out that both Cleveland and Detroit already had WNBA franchises in the past.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham Isn’t Too Fired Up About Some WNBA Expansion Cities, Detroit Fires Back
Sophie Cunningham probably won’t be vacationing in Detroit or Cleveland anytime soon.
(Photo by Zach Barron/NBAE via Getty Images)
In a follow-up interview Thursday, Cunningham attempted to explain her position, while doubling down on her belief that lifestyle and off-court opportunities matter to professional athletes.
“Yeah, OK. 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 where we’re at. So I’m thankful for that,” Cunningham said. “All I was really getting at is like — Broadway, the off-court lifestyle, and so I think that is really intriguing. I think Miami is intriguing. That’s all I was getting at.”
Cunningham emphasized that her remarks weren’t meant to insult working-class cities or communities.Â
“I would never speak down upon middle class, blue collar, working people. That’s where I come from,” she said. “I’m from Missouri. I get I’m in Indiana, and that’s kind of why I’m hinting at… Broadway sounds fun. Sophie in Miami, sounds fun.”
The WNBA announced earlier this week that it would add three new franchises over the next several years, expanding to Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Detroit previously had a team — the Shock — which won three WNBA championships before relocating to Tulsa in 2010. Further, the Cleveland Rockers were one of the original eight WNBA franchises, playing from 1997 to 2003.Â
City leaders in both Detroit and Cleveland defended their markets in response to Cunningham’s earlier comments.
Still, like it or not, Cunningham said lifestyle is an important factor for players in determining where they want to play.
“I think lifestyle is super important. I think that you’re in the gym quite a bit, and during season, you know, you live in the gym,” she explained. “But I think for a lot of people, they like balance. I think a lot of people are trying to have families nowadays too. And so I do think that that balance is super important, especially for mental health nowadays.”
Cunningham also addressed the wave of negative reactions her comments received from folks like Jemele Hill and Nancy Lieberman, saying she wasn’t surprised by the backlash.
“I mean, the people that hype you up are going to be the same people who shoot you down. And so for me, I always just kind of stay right here in the middle,” she said. “I think that was my personal opinion. It’s me — like people are going to love me, people are going to hate me. I think that’s with anyone. And so, that’s just what it is.”
