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The WNBA landscape is nothing short of contentious right now. The league’s announcement of expansion to three new cities has been at the forefront of discussion for some time. Amid that, Indiana Feveral guard Sophie Cunningham has ruffled feathers with comments about the league’s market choices.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Commissioner's Cup Final on Tuesday, Cunningham questioned why the WNBA would expand to cities like Cleveland and Detroit.
"I think you want to listen to your players, like, where do they want to play?" Cunningham said. "Miami would've been a great one, Nashville, Kansas City. ... I’m not so sure what the thought process is there. … But , I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or Cleveland.”
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These comments rubbed well-known Angel Reese superfan Mariah Rose, the daughter of former NBA star and Detroit Pistons superfan Jalen Rose, the wrong way.
She discussed Sophie Cunningham’s comments and issued a long rant on Tuesday evening.
"I don't ever go in on WNBA players the way I do on their male counterparts or any other athletes when they rub me the wrong way, because I love the WNBA," Rose said on her Hoops for Hotties account, where she explains sports for hotties. "However, this really bothered me.
"Who are you to dictate what cities are and aren't deserving of a professional women's basketball team? How dare you do that to every little girl growing up in Detroit and in Cleveland? Look at them and say, 'I, a professional women's basketball player, will never wanna to play in your city. “
Rose referenced that she was also born in Indianapolis, where her dad played for six years (1996-2002).
"Girl, it's sh*t in Indiana, and you play in Indiana. That's not any better."
Rose also blasted Sophie Cunningham for cashing in on the viral ‘enforcer’ altercation with Jacy Sheldon and Dave Portnoy encounter before the season opener.
"When people like Cunningham engage in physical altercations, their jerseys sell out, they get ad campaigns, and they gain millions of followers. They don’t get called a ‘classless piece of s**t’ by Dave Portnoy. Because why would they?"
"Sophie Cunningham was rubbing elbows with Dave Portnoy courtside right before she played Angel Reese, who he called a 'classless piece of sh*t' for (Reese) talking trash during college basketball," she added.
In the caption, she wrote:
"Mind you, her nickname has been 'MAGA Barbie' for years. Never beating the allegations."
Sophie Cunningham wins first trophy in WNBA as Indiana Fever beat Minnesota Lynx in Commissioner’s Cup Final
Sophie Cunningham ended her wait for a trophy in her WNBA career, as the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the Commissioner's Cup Final on Tuesday.
Indiana played without star guard, Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined with a strained groin. The Fever overcame a stunning 13-point deficit with a strong team performance to clinch the title.
The Lynx, who many had labeled as the outright favorite, were poor throughout the contest and couldn't quite test the Clark-less Fever.
Cunningham’s critical remarks also didn’t take any energy out of her, as she recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and one assist on the night, ending a long six-year wait for the Missouri native to win a trophy, after she was drafted.
