Fever's Sophie Cunningham backpedals on WNBA expansion comment

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play? Where are they gonna get excited to play and draw fans?" Cunningham told the media Tuesday. "It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

That comment upset fans in both cities. Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper even called her out for it. Cunningham subsequently attempted to clarify she wasn't trying to disrespect Detroit or Cleveland on Thursday.

"First of all, I know the history of the WNBA. I know that both those cities have had a team before and they got us where we're at, so I'm thankful for that," Cunningham said, via longtime Fever reporter Tony East. "All I was really getting at was Broadway [in Nashville], the off-court lifestyle and so I think that's really intriguing. I think Miami's intriguing. That's all I was getting at."

Cunningham then suggested that it might benefit the league to explore new markets without an NBA team, such as Nashville. Cleveland and Detroit already have NBA teams (Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons).  

"I think people totally misread the situation. I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar working people," Cunningham said. "That's where I come from. I'm from Missouri. I get that I'm in Indiana, and that's kind of why I'm hinting at Broadway sounds fun, Miami sounds fun. That's all I was getting at."

Cunningham seems like she was trying to say she just wanted the league to consider all its options. Perhaps if she had articulated that differently the first time, it wouldn't have offended fans in both cities.