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According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, the WNBA is planning to award an expansion franchise to Cleveland in the coming months and could potentially add two more teams in the near future to bring the league to 18 teams.
The Cleveland franchise is expected to play at Rocket Arena, formerly Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and reprise the nickname of the Rockers, one of the WNBA’s original eight teams that folded after the 2003 season.
The name was inspired by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland and the “R” in their logo resembled an electric guitar. They also shared a black, blue and orange color scheme with the NBA’s Cavaliers.
The Rockers reached the playoffs in four of their six seasons, reaching the league semifinal in 1998 and conference finals in 2000. They starred players such as Isabelle Fijalkowski and Lynette Woodard, the first woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.
SBJ also reported that cities such as Detroit, Houston, Miami, Nashville and Philadelphia in contention for near-future expansion, with Detroit (Shock), Houston (Comets) and Miami (Sol) previously having teams.
Those three names, as well as a fourth for a potential Charlotte franchise (Sting), have been trademarked by the WBNA in the last few weeks, which could offer a glimpse into the league’s thinking if it eventually expands again.
“The WNBA has received formal bids from many interested ownership groups in various markets and we are currently in the process of evaluating these proposals,” a WBNA spokesperson told SBJ.
The WNBA already has three new clubs on the way in the next two seasons, with the Golden State Valkyries tipping off their inaugural season in May and the Toronto Tempo and an unnamed Portland franchise joining the pack in 2026.
Photo courtesy of @RocketArena, @CrainsCleveland on X/Twitter.
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