By Josh Widdowson
For The Inscriber
The WNBA is returning to Cleveland with a new expansion franchise in 2028.
In ceremonies held August 4th at Rocket Arena, the league welcomed the Cleveland Sirens to the growing league. This will be the 16th expansion team in WNBA history.
The name comes from the legendary female-like human beings whose songs would lure unsuspecting sailors to their deaths. They will have two-tone blue for their uniforms to pay tribute to Lake Erie.
The team will be owned by Rock Entertainment Group, who paid $250 million for the expansion team. The group also owns the Cavaliers of the NBA, the Cleveland Charge of the G-League and the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
Home games will be played at Rocket Arena and the women will practice at the former Cavs’ practice facility in Independence.
Allison Howard, the team’s president of business operations, said that they “can exist very much on the independent side of the Cavaliers,” and said that the demographic is totally different. The team has already received 9,000 deposits for season tickets.
This marks the second WNBA franchise in the town. When the WNBA formed in 1997, the city hosted the Cleveland Rockers until 2003, when owner Gordon Gund of the Gund Arena company would no longer operate the team.
Without local ownership, the team folded after seven seasons, and players were sent to other teams via a dispersal draft. Gund cited lackluster attendance and lack of revenue.
The Rockers were recognized at Tuesday’s event, with former player Janice Braxton providing the narration for the opening video. She was joined by some other former players at yesterday’s ceremony.
Other WNBA expansion teams include yet-to-be-named franchises in Detroit and Philadelphia, who will start play in 2029 and 2030 respectively.
Detroit will also see the WNBA return after the franchise moved to Tulsa and later Dallas.
Philadelphia will receive its first WNBA franchise.