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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has faced criticism over the last week for her comments about the WNBA’s planned expansion to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
Cunningham was asked about the league’s choice of those three expansion cities at the conclusion of a process that also explored Kansas City, Miami and Nashville as options for WNBA franchise.
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“I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or (Cleveland),” Cunningham said.
The 28-year-old attempted to clarify her comments Thursday, prior to the Fever’s 81-54 win over the Las Vegas Aces, intimating “people totally misread” what she was trying to express.
“First of all, I know the history behind the WNBA. I know both of those cities had teams before and they got us where we’re at, so I’m thankful for that,” Cunningham said, per Tony East, referencing Detroit and Cleveland. “All I was really getting at is Broadway, the off-court lifestyle, so I think that is really intriguing.
“I think Miami is really intriguing. That’s all I was getting at.”
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Cunningham’s initial comments referenced the importance of getting player input about markets in which they would like to play.
“Where do they want to play?” Cunningham rhetorically asked. “Where are they going to get excited to play?”
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But Cunningham made it clear she wasn’t attempting to bad-mouth Detroit or Cleveland and their respective citizens.
“I would never speak down upon middle class, blue-collar working people,” Cunningham said. “That’s where I come from, I’m from Missouri.”
Cunningham also noted she would like to see the WNBA expansion include teams “outside the NBA market.” The league’s newest expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, is housed in San Francisco — home of the Golden State Warriors — while Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia all have NBA teams as well.
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Still, while Cunningham believes growing in new basketball markets could be a boon for the WNBA, she remains steadfast that the most important decision in assessing those new markets is getting player input.
“Broadway sounds fun, Sophie in Miami sounds fun,” Cunningham said. “All I was saying.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sophie Cunningham on WNBA expansion: Fever guard clarifies comments
