Cleveland will reportedly be the next city awarded a WNBA franchise.
The team would join the league for the 2028 season and the move is expected to be officially announced no later than March, according to a story shared Sunday by Sports Business Journal.
The team would play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the home of NBA team the Cavaliers and American Hockey League team the Monsters.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert announced a bid for a WNBA franchise in November.
The team would take the name of the city's original WNBA team, the Cleveland Rockers. The name refers to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland's rock 'n' roll heritage. The WNBA has applied to trademark the name Cleveland Rockers, according to Sports Business Journal, as well as three other former franchises: the Houston Comets, Detroit Shock and Miami Sol.
The Rockers, one of the original WNBA franchises, played from 1997 to 2003. The team folded after owner Gordon Gund, also owner of the Cavs at the time, announced he would no longer operate the team, citing revenue and attendance as his reasons. No other ownership was secured.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb posted his excitement about the return of the Cleveland Rockers on social media Sunday.
THE CLEVELAND ROCKERS ARE BACK!!! 🏀🏀🏀 https://t.co/6kNsCRpQwM
— Justin M. Bibb (@JustinMBibb) February 16, 2025
The team saw some success in its six years. In 1998, the Rockers won the Eastern Conference title but lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals. The Rockers had their best season in 2001, going 22-10 and winning the Eastern Conference, before losing to the Charlotte Sting in the first round of the playoffs. In 2003, the Rockers went 17-17 and fell in the first round to the Detroit Shock. The Rockers are the only team to qualify for the playoffs in their last season.
The WNBA is already welcoming two new teams in 2026: the Toronto Tempo and a team in Portland.
Cleveland recently lost its bid for the next National Women's Soccer League franchise to Denver, despite support for women's sports growing in the city. Cleveland's first women's sports bar is in the works.
