The WNBA recently announced that the league will be expanding to three cities – Cleveland, Philadelphia and Detroit – as it continues to build out the league.
Once all three teams are added by 2030, the WNBA will have 18 teams in total.
However, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham appeared to question the league’s decision to expand to certain cities, taking a shot at Cleveland and Detroit in the process.
Fever star Sophie Cunningham on the WNBA expanding to multiple new cities over the next few years:
"I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]" pic.twitter.com/pncwYpMar3
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 1, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell made sure to show his support for the city of Cleveland, responding to Cunningham’s comments on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
Cleveland in the summertime 🔥🔥 https://t.co/0SxAeH56XV
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) July 1, 2025
Mitchell was traded to the Cavs prior to the 2022-23 season, and he’s played three full seasons in Cleveland. The star guard clearly enjoys playing in the city, as he re-signed with the Cavs through the 2026-27 season. He also has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign.
A six-time All-Star, Mitchell could end up spending the rest of his prime with the Cavs if he feels that the team is the right fit for him. Regardless, he’s a case of a player showing a desire to play for the city at the NBA level.
Hopefully, that’ll trickle down to the WNBA level as the league continues to expand.
Cunningham is currently teammates with guard Caitlin Clark, who has brought immense popularity to the WNBA with her impressive long-range shooting and decisive playmaking ability.
Once the WNBA expands to Cleveland, it’s possible that many Cavs teams will flock to support the WNBA franchise.
Cleveland has enjoyed a lot of success in basketball since the drafting of LeBron James in the 2003 NBA Draft, as it has made several trips to the NBA Finals and won a title in the 2016 season.
Mitchell is now hoping to extend that success during his time with the franchise. The Cavs finished with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2024-25 season, but they came up short in the playoffs, losing in the second round to the Indiana Pacers.
It was the second straight season that Cleveland was knocked out in the second round.
However, with the Cavs’ core four of Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen still intact, the team appears to be in a great position to make a deep playoff run in the 2025-26 campaign.