Cleveland likely to see the return of WNBA Cleveland Rockers team in 2028

Appetite for professional sports teams in Northeast Ohio is high. The Cleveland Cavaliers remain atop the NBA leaderboards and continue to pack fans into Rocket Arena. Guardians spring training is underway which means summer is right around the corner.

And the City of Cleveland remains in tough negotiations with the Haslams to keep the Browns playing at a stadium downtown. So how about adding another professional team to that mix, and one made up of women?

That could be the case with a team returning to Northeast Ohio in 2028 — The Cleveland Rockers. The Rockers were one of the WNBA’s original eight teams – playing in Northeast Ohio from 1997 until 2003.

Reports surfaced this past weekend that Cleveland was a top contender for the team as the WNBA eyes expansion. This also comes on the heels of a bid to land a national women’s soccer team in Northeast Ohio, which didn’t materialize. And oh yeah, there’s a new bar opening in Cleveland, all about women’s sports.

We’ll kick off Thursday’s “Sound of Ideas” talking about the potential return of the Rockers, and what it means for women’s sports in the region.

Later in the hour, we’ll hear the first in a new series from the “Sound of Ideas” and Cleveland Magazine. It’s called “The Menu,” our deep dive into Northeast Ohio’s food scene — which we’ll be bringing to you every other week.

Finally our Kabir Bhatia previews new shows coming to Playhouse Square.

Guests:- Joe Scalzo, Sports Reporter, Crain’s Cleveland Business- Ally Eclarin, Owner, W Sports Bar / State Champs- Dillon Stewart, Editor, Cleveland Magazine- Kabir Bhatia, Senior Arts Reporter, Ideastream Public Media- David Greene, Senior Vice President of Programming, Playhouse Square