Fever's Cunningham pans WNBA expansion cities

Indiana Fever prima defender Sophie Cunningham took contented with 2 of the 3 enlargement cities that volition beryllium joining the WNBA.

Cunningham's captious comments during her team's shootaround Tuesday came 1 time aft commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia would articulation the league successful 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively.

"You privation to perceive to your players, too. Where bash they privation to play? Where are they gonna get excited to play and gully fans?" said Cunningham, 28.

"I bash deliberation that Miami would person been a large [location]. Nashville is an astonishing city. Kansas City, astonishing opportunity.

"... I'm not truthful definite what the thought process is there, but astatine the extremity of the day, you privation to marque definite that you're not expanding our league excessively fast. I deliberation that that's besides different thing.

"It's benignant of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't cognize however excited radical are to beryllium going to Detroit oregon [Cleveland]."

The enlargement volition propulsion the WNBA to 18 full teams.

"Great request for WNBA franchises," Engelbert said Monday astatine a quality conference. "There was immense demand. Really arrogant of what my squad has done. Looking guardant to aboriginal conversations arsenic the league continues to grow."

The WNBA presently stands astatine 13 teams, with franchises successful Toronto and Portland acceptable to participate the league successful 2026.