Cleveland Sirens WNBA name official: New franchise brings year-round pro basketball to Rocket Arena

Cleveland basketball fans just got the call they have been waiting for. On Tuesday, Rock Entertainment Group and Dan Gilbert’s ownership group officially named the city’s new WNBA expansion team the Cleveland Sirens. The franchise, the league’s 16th, will tip off in 2028 at Rocket Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This brings professional women’s basketball back to Northeast Ohio more than two decades after the original Cleveland Rockers folded in 2003.

The announcement ends months of speculation and a clever buildup that included blue-themed social posts and a “Hear the Call” sand sculpture at Edgewater Park. Fans can now cheer a name that draws from Lake Erie and Greek mythology’s powerful sirens, creatures known for their commanding voices that demand attention.

Why the name fits Cleveland perfectly

Team president Allison Howard explained the choice after a year of listening tours, surveys, and community input. “The siren commands attention. She draws you in and she is loud by nature, but never by force,” Howard said. “Fans of women’s sports have always been here and kind of been under the surface. And now it is their time to come above and be heard. We are bold. We are a rising tide and this team will be impossible to ignore.”

The branding leans hard into local identity. Colours feature two shades of blue inspired by Lake Erie, plus a mint foam accent. The primary logo shows a light blue siren cradling a basketball beneath a bold “SIRENS” wordmark. Designers built movement into every detail so the mark feels fluid like water and the game itself. Howard and the group stressed the name had to feel authentically Cleveland, rooted in the city’s resilience and the rising tide of women’s sports nationwide.

Strong early support and local ties

Cleveland paid a record $250 million expansion fee, matching the high-water mark set for other new franchises in Detroit and Philadelphia. That investment signals serious commitment. More than 9,000 priority ticket deposits already sit in the books, even though the first tip-off remains nearly two years away. Fans can still sign up for priority tickets on the official team site.

Progressive Insurance signed on early as a founding partner and the exclusive jersey-patch sponsor, claiming both chest and abdomen placements, a first for any multiyear WNBA deal. The Cavaliers’ ownership ties also help. When the Cavs move into their new Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center in 2027, the Sirens will take over Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence as their exclusive practice home. Howard, who previously served as the Cavaliers’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, brings deep local knowledge to the role of president of basketball operations.

The return fills a clear gap. Right now, Ohio has limited professional women’s indoor sports options. The Sirens will change that while sharing the downtown arena calendar with the Cavs, creating true year-round basketball at Rocket Arena.