Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has found herself in the middle of criticism. Cunningham has established herself as someone who is not afraid to speak what’s on her mind, and that can come with its pros and cons.
Most recently, the WNBA announced its expansion plans for the league. It was revealed that by 2030, three new teams will be added from the cities, Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. While there have been mixed reactions to the announcement, Cunningham was certainly not impressed.
Sophie Cunningham Draws Criticism For Comments About WNBA Expansion
Though the WNBA is on an expansion spree, the league is doing its thing. While the bet on the Golden State Valkyries has played well, the aggressive approach to add more teams is understandable. However, it struck a chord with Fever star Sophie Cunningham.
“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’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 earlier said. (Via ESPN)
She was saying this from a player’s point of view who is taking high strides in the league and is skeptical about the foreseeable future. Although former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill jumped right into the discussion to school the 6 ft 1 shooting guard nonchalantly.
“Sis, you play in Indiana. No disrespect. And she’s unfortunately too young to know Detroit was ranked top 5 in attendance when we had the Shock, and won three titles in 6 years,” Hill wrote.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
And she’s unfortunately too young to know Detroit was ranked top 5 in attendance when we had the Shock, and won three titles in 6 years.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) July 1, 2025
I’m fully aware of Indiana’s basketball pedigree but she took a silly shot at Detroit for no reason, when she should be embracing league… https://t.co/AwbuplLYNl
That said, it is safe to say that Hill wasn’t too impressed with what Cunningham had to say about the league’s expansion plans. Additionally, Hill’s comments came soon after Sophie was targeted by Cleveland’s official social handle.
Sophie Cunningham Went Viral For Her Commissioner Cup Victory Celebration
One thing seems to be certain at this point that Sophie Cunningham knows how to get the people talking. Before making her remarks about the league’s expansion, Sophie Cunningham clinched the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the Indiana Fever.
As the team celebrated its victory over the Minnesota Lynx, Cunningham turned to the camera and twerked during her Instagram live. The video was quick to go viral on social media as fans expressed their reactions to the same.
It is worth noting that the reactions weren’t all negative. However, they further established something we mentioned earlier: that Cunningham knows how to get people talking.
Also Read: Sophie Cunningham Cashes Caitlin Clark’s ‘Enforcer’ Role Into Massive Brand Collaboration