Sophie Cunningham Has One Word After Her Comments Spark Backlash
The WNBA's recent expansion news was generally met with excitement by the basketball world. Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia have all been given expansion teams, which will join the WNBA within the next five years.
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With Toronto and Portland set to join the league next season, the number of teams in the WNBA will increase to 18 by 2030.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, however, wasn't exactly thrilled with the news. On Tuesday, the veteran shared a hot take on this historic development. While Cunningham is happy with the expansion process and how it will open up numerous new opportunities, she has made her opinion on the latest expansion cities clear.
"I do think that Miami would have been a great one," she said. "Everyone loves Florida. Nashville is an amazing city. Kansas City, amazing opportunity... But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or Cleveland."
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) looks on during a game. © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Cunningham is now facing some backlash for her controversial comments. The cities of Detroit and Cleveland both clapped back at the Fever vet. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called out Cunningham as well, while WNBA legend Lisa Leslie revealed her disappointment in Cunningham's statement.
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The 6-foot-1 guard hasn't officially addressed the criticism yet, but she appears to be unbothered by all the backlash. On Tuesday night, Cunningham took to TikTok to post her latest dance video as she celebrated the Fever's historic Commissioner's Cup championship win against the Minnesota Lynx.
In the comments section, a fan asked Cunningham about the difference between Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis, which is where she currently resides. Cunningham got brutally honest with her one-word response.
"Nothing," she replied.
The fan, along with several other social media users, appeared to point out through the question that Indianapolis isn't exactly the most exciting city in America. Based on her response, it seems that Cunningham agrees with that notion.
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Whatever the case might be, this certainly won't change Cunningham's loyalty to her team. At the same time, while it has only been five months since she took her talents to Indiana, there's no denying that she's firmly established herself as a true fan favorite among the Fever faithful.
Related: Sophie Cunningham Turns Heads With Pregame Outfit for Fever-Lynx
Related: Indiana Fever's Mini-Movie After WNBA Cup Championship Brings the Chills
Related: Caitlin Clark Couldn't Contain Herself After Sophie Cunningham's Clutch Shot in Cup Final
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Fantasy football TE rankings 2025: Bank on Brock Bowers, Trey McBride
Fantasy football draft season is upon us. While the focus is on running backs and wide receivers, selecting the best tight end in your league can be the ultimate difference maker in becoming a league winner. Tight end is often considered a fantasy wasteland but several players can help put their stamp on a successful fantasy lineup. Entering last season, a clear-cut TE1 didn't exist but Raiders star Brock Bowers burst onto the scene and is firmly planted at the top of the rankings heading into 2025. As always, the Kansas CityChiefs' Travis Kelce returns, and tight ends like Detroit's Sam LaPorta and Arizona's Trey McBride have emerged as high-end options. There are only a few highly coveted tight ends but there are some gems you can select deeper down the draft board with league-winning potential. Who are the best fantasy football tight ends in 2025? Here's a look at USA TODAY's preseason fantasy TE rankings. 2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST Fantasy football rankings: TE 1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders. Bowers delivered on high expectations in 2024. He set multiple rookie receiving records and is expected once again to be the top target in the Raiders offense. With improved quarterback play expected from Geno Smith under center, Bowers has little risk and a high floor. 2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals tight end was arguably the best hurdler in the NFL in 2024 and he may have just enough juice to hurdle his way to finishing as TE1 in 2025. He led all tight ends with a league-high 25.9% target rate and had the second-most red-zone targets in the NFL. McBride's 111 receptions last season were the fourth most by a tight end in a single season all-time. He finished with just two touchdowns despite the massive target share, which suggests he should see positive regression in the touchdown column in 2025. 3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers. With the 49ers battered by injuries last season, Kittle became a focal point and reminded everyone just how valuable he is. Heading into 2025, expect more of the same, with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) slowly making his return and Deebo Samuel traded to Washington. Over the last two seasons with Brock Purdy, Kittle posted an average depth of target (aDOT) of 9.9 and 8.9 -- significantly higher marks than Bowers (6.6 aDOT) and McBride (6.5 aDOT). Kittle has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is one of the best red-zone threats, scoring 25 touchdowns over the last three seasons. 4. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions. LaPorta didn't replicate his success from his rookie season when he finished as TE1, but he still has that same upside heading into his third NFL season. He finished as TE7 in point-per-reception (PPR) formats but dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season. Ben Johnson is no longer in Detroit calling plays, but there should be no shortage of offense to go around with the Lions, who scored an NFL-high 33.2 points per game last season. 5. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce's production declined significantly in 2024, despite his target share (25%) holding firm. His yards per route run and yards after the catch both declined for the third consecutive season, but expectations remain high in the Chiefs offense. Rashee Rice could miss multiple games, which would open the door for the vet to become the focal point in the passing attack during that period. He finished as TE5 in 2024 and there's no reason to believe he can't repeat. He's no longer the elite fantasy player he was, but he remains inside the top 10 at the position and has a safe floor. 6. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns. Njoku is in an offense with the biggest question mark at quarterback this preseason. It's nothing new for the Browns tight end, who has been able to find success despite the lack of consistency under center. Veteran Joe Flacco is the likely leader to start Week 1 and Njoku averaged 16.2 fantasy points per game with a 28% target share in six games with Flacco in 2023. Cleveland lacks viable receivers outside of Jerry Jeudy, which will allow Njoku to gobble up more looks. 7. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings. The former first-round pick will be over a year removed from an ACL injury. He's been extremely efficient since joining Kevin O'Connell's offense in Minnesota and will be catching passes from J.J. McCarthy in 2025. He finished 2023 second at the position in targets and receptions. Fully healthy entering 2025, he is a solid mid-range TE1. 8. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons. Here's the first of two post-hype sleepers ranked inside the top 12. Pitts has been one of the most frustrating fantasy players to roster but with Michael Penix Jr. taking the reins in 2025, there is new hope. Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson enters his second season and should have a better idea of how to maximize Pitts' potential. 9. Evan Engram, Denver Broncos. Engram finds himself in an exciting offense in Denver, where he has plenty of potential in Sean Payton's "joker" role. There's not much target competition aside from Courtland Sutton and he could easily see over 100 targets. 10. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens. Andrews is aging but has been a fantasy stalwart for seven seasons. He's been a consensus top-5 tight end for the last six seasons but saw his yards per route run drop for the third consecutive year. He averaged just 3.7 yards after the catch (YAC), which tied for 41st among tight ends. He has an incredible rapport with Lamar Jackson, but the emergence of Isaiah Likely could put a dent in his target share. 11. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills. Kincaid is an excellent post-hype sleeper. Big things were expected from the 2023 first-round pick last season, but he dealt with injuries. The good? His target rate increased from 19.6% to 25.7%, which is around the average of a TE1. The tight end position has typically taken longer for players to break out, with LaPorta and Bowers being the outliers. In Year 3 of a Josh Allen-led offense, there's an opportunity for Kincaid to boom. He was second on the team in targets more than 15 yards downfield 12. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys. Ferguson finds himself as the third option in the Cowboys passing attack entering 2025 after the addition of George Pickens. This will likely keep him firmly outside a top-five finish at the position, but he should have a safe floor week-to-week with Dak Prescott healthy. He ranked as TE12 in Prescott's eight healthy games in 2024. 13. Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans. 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Green Bay has plenty of weapons and added another in the first round of the draft in WR Matthew Golden. Kraft earned just 15% of the team's targets last season and relied heavily on his abilities after the catch. That will likely keep him outside of the top 10. 16. Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens. Likely is just 25 years old and averaged 6.1 yards after the catch (tied for sixth among TEs) compared to Mark Andrews' 3.7. Todd Monken's offense continued to feature Andrews as the season progressed. Still, Likely posted career highs across the board. Andrews, who will be 30 this season, saw his yards per route run drop for the third consecutive season. Lamar Jackson posted a 131.2 passer rating when targeting Likely in 2024. There is legitimate TE1 upside if Andrews is injured or traded. 17. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars offense should have a new identity in 2025 with Liam Coen in town. Trevor Lawrence previously supported Engram as an elite fantasy tight end, which gives hope that there's breakout potential for Strange. However, there are other weapons in the Jaguars offense (Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter) he will have to compete with for targets. 18. Mason Taylor, New York Jets. Taylor, a second-round draft pick, could easily find himself as the No. 2 weapon in the Jets air attack behind Garrett Wilson. The Jets offense, led by Justin Fields, will likely take a run-heavy approach. Still, new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was the passing game coordinator in Detroit while Sam LaPorta emerged, making Taylor an intriguing late-round option. 19. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals' contract talks this offseason have been loud, but among the quietest deals to go down was the three-year, $25 million extension for Gesicki. Joe Burrow can support multiple receivers at a time and if the oft-injured Tee Higgins were to miss time during the year, the Penn State product would be firmly inside the top 10 at the position. 20. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles. Goedert has an upside that can't be matched, but is contingent on the health of DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. He's often the fourth option in Philadelphia's offense but he still manages to average about 50 yards per year. He missed seven games last season with injuries and was the topic of trade rumors earlier in the offseason. He is a steady TE2 option. 21. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears. With Ben Johnson leading Chicago, the Bears offense is expected to take a significant leap. However, the presence of Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden will likely keep Loveland in the back end of TE2 range. 22. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had the fourth-fewest pass attempts per game in 2024. 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Hunter Henry, New England Patriots 27. Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints 28. Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers 29. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans 30. Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks 31. Theo Johnson, New York Giants 32. Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33. Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams 34. Ja'Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers 35. Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. 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USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Injury status for Mercury vs. Fever
The Indiana Fever are riding a two-game win streak after defeating the Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky, but the Fever will face a major test on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury without All-Star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark has been ruled out of Wednesday's contest against the Mercury, marking the fifth consecutive game she's missed due to a right groin injury suffered in the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. Clark's medical evaluations confirmed there's "no additional injuries or damage," but the Fever said they will be cautious with Clark to ensure she's ready to go later in the season and in the playoffs. There's no timetable for her return. Here's everything you need to know about Clark's injury status: Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Injury status for Fever-Mercury No. Clark was ruled out of the Fever's matchup against the Mercury with a right groin injury. How many games has Caitlin Clark missed this season? The injury bug has been Clark's biggest nemesis this season, forcing her to miss 13 of the Fever's 26 games in her sophomore campaign, a career-high for Clark. The Fever (14-12) have gone 6-7 this season without the 2024 Rookie of the Year, but remain in playoff contention in sixth place in the standings. Wednesday will mark the 14th regular-season game Clark has missed this season due to injury. Clark was previously sidelined five games due to a left quad injury and four games with a left groin injury. She also missed the Fever's Commissioner's Cup win over the Minnesota Lynx on July 1, in addition to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and the 3-point competition held in Indianapolis. How was Caitlin Clark injured? Clark suffered the right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever's 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston on July 15. With 39.1 seconds remaining in the contest, Clark completed a bounce pass to Kelsey Mitchell to put the Fever up 84-75. After the pass, Clark immediately grabbed for her right groin and grimaced as she gingerly walked over to a stanchion, which she headbutted. She did not return to the game. The injury happened days before the Fever were set to host the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Clark was voted a team captain and drafted her own team, but she ultimately pulled out of the All-Star Game and 3-point contest due to injuries, stating, "I have to rest my body." When will Caitlin Clark play again? It's not clear when Clark will make her return, but Fever head coach Stephanie White said the WNBA's rigorous schedule is not helping the timeline. "I always think the WNBA season is like this sprint marathon," White said on Sunday. "You see more injuries when you don't have a chance to recover, but it's not like individual teams are the only ones that deal with it. This is a league-wide, collective issue. The NBA has a similar cadence, but they've got 30 teams and there's not quite as much crisscrossing time zones and crisscrossing the country. So, it's the challenge of the footprint of our schedule." The Fever start a four-game road trip on Friday and will travel to Dallas (Aug. 1), Seattle (Aug. 3), Los Angeles (Aug. 5) and Phoenix (Aug. 7) in the span of a week. Caitlin Clark stats Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and a career-high 8.8 assists in 13 games this season. Her assists average is the second-highest in the league, behind Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas (9.4). The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Chicago Tribune
40 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Could the Chicago Sky hand the No. 1 draft pick to the No. 1 team in the WNBA?
The Chicago Sky are entering a dire turning point of the season. With a 7-19 record, the Sky are the second-worst team in the WNBA. Starting guard Ariel Atkins is sidelined indefinitely. Star Angel Reese is battling through minor injuries. With fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, the playoffs are a far-off dream. This isn't what the Sky envisioned for their first season under head coach Tyler Marsh. But in any other year, all of this failure and frustration would come with a shiny silver lining: improved odds at another lottery pick in 2026, a draft class studded with top talent including Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles. But that's not the case this year for the Sky, who don't own their natural first-round pick in 2026. Instead, Chicago will spend the latter half of the season fending off a worst-case scenario — handing the No. 1 pick to the best team in the league. In 2024, the Sky struck a deal with the Minnesota Lynx to acquire the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft in exchange for the No. 8 pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and a first-round pick swap in 2026. The Sky then added a final bow to this trade in a 2025 trade to acquire the No. 11 pick in the draft, ceding the rights to the 2026 pick swap to give Minnesota outright ownership of Chicago's first-rounder. Those two deals were monumental for the Sky, paving the way for the acquisition of Angel Reese (No. 7 in 2024) and Hailey Van Lith (No. 11 in 2025) as building blocks for a team developing around youth. But they also handed an unexpected boon to Minnesota, a 22-win team already dead set on steamrolling the rest of the league on their road back to the WNBA Finals. At best, the Sky are currently set to hand the Lynx a lottery pick to bolster a roster already headlined by stars like Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams. And if they can't slow a slippery descent of losses amid a rash of injuries, the Sky could be on track to give the No. 1 pick to the league's heaviest hitter. The lottery system in the WNBA draft is complicated by a two-season weighting, which differs from most other draft lotteries in leagues like the NBA. The five lottery slots are determined by the teams that finish outside of the playoffs. From there, however, lottery odds are based on a team's record over the past two seasons. The non-playoff team with the worst two-season record will have a 40% chance of receiving the No. 1 pick. The remainder of the lottery is weighted by this two-season record, with exponentially decreasing odds — 25% for the team with the second-worst record, 17% for third-worst, 11% for fourth-worst and 7% for fifth-worst. This approach to odds drastically changes the outcome of lottery seeding in the WNBA. For instance, despite a dismal four-win showing this season, Connecticut's lottery odds are artificially deflated by their 28-12 record in the 2024 season, when they finished third overall in the league. Their two-season win percentage is still 49.2%, which traps them in the lowest odds despite being the bottom-ranked team in the league this year. Five teams are jockeying in the bottom rung of the league — the Sun, the Sky, the Golden State Valkyries (12-13, 48% two-year percentage), the Los Angeles Sparks (11-15, 28.8% two-year percentage) and the Dallas Wings (8-19, 25.4% two-year percentage). Three of these picks are owed to other teams — Connecticut to Chicago, Chicago to Minnesota and Los Angeles to Seattle. While the Sky are only one loss behind the Sparks in two-year win percentage, they remain 14 losses behind the Wings, who are favorites to finish with the top odds at the No. 1 pick. Barring a truly disastrous end of the season — which would involve the Wings going on a breakneck winning streak — the Sky are unlikely to finish above second in the draft lottery odds. This is still, however, somewhat disastrous. If the Sky hand the Lynx a top-three pick, they will be allowing the best team in the league a choice between Fudd, Miles or Lauren Betts. A top-five pick still isn't much better. And there's little the Sky can do to prevent either outcome from occurring. The best-case scenario for the Sky? Make the playoffs. That's been true all year. Conveying a first-rounder to Minnesota immediately negated the concept of tanking away this season. And the only way for the Sky to block the Lynx from potentially landing the No. 1 pick is to knock them out of the lottery altogether. If the Sky somehow make the playoffs, they would drop their draft pick down to No. 8 overall due to the presence of expansion teams in Toronto and Portland, which will receive the No. 6 and No. 7 picks. The likelihood of that outcome, however, is slim at best. The Sky are six games back from the Washington Mystics, who are currently eighth overall with a 13-13 record. They've won only four of their last 10 games, the second-worst streak in the entire league. If Atkins returns, a turnaround could still be on the table. But for now, the Sky are charting a course toward a disastrous result for the entire league — handing the Lynx even more ammunition to load up for yet another WNBA title conquest.
