Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham took aim at Detroit after the WNBA announced plans to return to the city. Lions lineman Dan Skipper wasn’t having it.
The WNBA officially announced this week that Detroit will again have a team, thanks in large part to support from Lions quarterback Jared Goff and team owner Sheila Hamp. The Detroit Shock will return in 2029.
However, not everyone welcomed the news. Cunningham criticized the league’s choice of expansion cities—which include Cleveland (2028) and Philadelphia (2030)—saying players may not be thrilled about going to Detroit.
“You also have to listen to the players,” Cunningham said. “Where would they like to play? What cities get them excited and can draw crowds? Miami would’ve been perfect. Everyone likes Florida. Nashville is incredible. Kansas City has a big downtown arena just sitting empty. The women’s soccer league is proving fans will show up.”
“So I’m not sure what the thinking was. But you also have to be careful not to expand too fast. You don’t want some teams dominating and others falling flat. It’s a tough choice to place teams, but man, I don’t know who’s thrilled to be sent to Detroit or Cincinnati [she meant Cleveland].”
That final line blew up on social media Tuesday. Many Detroiters, including the city’s official Twitter account, fired back. Lions lineman Dan Skipper joined in and made clear Cunningham had picked a fight with the city.
The Detroit Shock played from 1998 to 2009. The team relocated to Tulsa after the 2008–09 season amid the recession. But during their peak, they won three championships and consistently drew crowds, finishing top five in attendance five years in a row—three of those years at No. 1.
