Sparks fire back at Sophie Cunningham over controversial WNBA comments

Indiana Fever - English Joe Krishnan - English Los Angeles Sparks - English Sophie Cunningham - English Sports WNBA - English

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The Los Angeles Sparks did their talking both on and off the court Saturday night after edging out the Indiana Fever in a nail-biting 89-87 victory, before sending a subtle message to Sophie Cunningham.

But it wasn’t just the scoreboard that delivered the final word – it was the Sparks’ social media team, who fired off a not-so-subtle jab at Cunningham in response to her recent controversial comments about WNBA expansion cities.

Following the road win in Indianapolis, the Sparks posted on X, formerly Twitter, “List of cities Indiana has beef with: Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles.”

The message quickly drew attention, playing off of Cunningham’s recent remarks questioning the WNBA’s decision to add new teams in Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia by the end of the decade.

Earlier in the week, Cunningham had voiced her skepticism about the league’s expansion strategy.

“I’m not so sure what the thought process is there,” she said. “I think at the end of the day you’ve gotta think about expanding our league too fast.

“You don’t want teams who are going to dominate and then teams who aren’t. I think it’s a hard decision to make, but yeah, I don’t know how excited people are going to be about going to Detroit [or Cleveland].”

Her comments sparked immediate backlash, especially from fans and officials in the cities she referenced.

Cunningham walks back her words as Detroit claps back

Facing criticism, Cunningham attempted to clarify her position. She said her concerns were more about lifestyle and entertainment opportunities in expansion cities than about their WNBA legacies or fan bases.

“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.

“All I was really getting at is Broadway, the off-court lifestyle, so I think that is really intriguing. I think Miami is intriguing. That’s all I was getting at.”

She continued, “I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar working people. That’s where I come from, I’m from Missouri, I get I’m in Indiana.”

But the damage had already been done. The City of Detroit issued a strong response on social media, highlighting its historical support for women’s basketball and its broader appeal as a sports hub.

“The last time we were home to a WNBA team (Detroit Shock), we ranked top five in attendance for five straight seasons, No. 1 in attendance for three straight seasons and set a single-game attendance record of 22,076 fans at Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals,” the city said in a post on X.

“Additionally more than 775,000 people were excited to come to Detroit for the 2024 NFL draft. Detroit is a sports town. We’re sure we’ll see the same excitement for the WNBA returning.”

The Fever, who were without Caitlin Clark for a fifth consecutive game, saw their three-game win streak come to an end against the Sparks.

Still, the postgame conversation quickly shifted from basketball to branding, as Cunningham became the focal point of a growing debate around expansion, fan loyalty, and respect for WNBA history.

If the Sparks’ jab and Detroit’s receipts are any indication, the road to expansion may be paved with more than just logistics – it may also require a little more diplomacy from players in the spotlight.

This news was originally published on this post .