Those comments, unsurprisingly, got picked apart, with the cities of Cleveland and Detroit responding, WNBA fans quickly reminding Cunningham of the history of the WNBA in those cities, and many pointing out the hypocrisy of complaints about Detroit and Cleveland from a player in Indianapolis.

Sophie Cunningham was the center of controversy over comments about the WNBA’s expansion to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, and, on Thursday, she attempted to clarify her message ahead of the Fever’s win over the Aces.

Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham draws criticism for questioning WNBA expansion to Detroit and Cleveland. Her response reveals deeper league tensions.