A Defense of Detroit: A Great American Sports City

Sophie Cunningham’s comments diminish one of the great city revivals of the modern era while displaying an ugliness about the way we view American cities

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The WNBA is expanding once again as it continues to take advantage of its explosion in fan interest with players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers entering the league. Golden State tipped off their inaugural season this year, with Toronto coming next year. Recently, it was announced that by 2030, the league is adding another three teams in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit.

It’s an exciting moment for the people of those cities, who have another team to root for. The return of women’s basketball in Detroit is especially significant after the Shock left in 2009 after winning two WNBA championships. The people of Detroit are excited with billboards triumphantly proclaiming the return of professional women’s basketball to the Motor City.

Not everyone, however, shares the enthusiasm of Detroiters. Sophie Cunningham, a reserve guard for the Indiana Fever, was asked about the new teams and gave an answer that rubbed many the wrong way. Cunningham felt that cities like Nashville, Kansas City, and Miami would have been better choices and then went on to say, “I don’t know how…