| Cleveland WNBA team | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | WNBA |
| Founded | June 30, 2025; 4 months ago (2025-06-30) |
| Arena | Rocket Arena |
| Capacity | 19,432 |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| CEO | Nic Barlage |
| Chairman | Dan Gilbert |
| President | Allison Howard |
| Ownership | Dan Gilbert |
| Website | wnbacleveland |
TheCleveland WNBA team is an American professionalbasketball team based inCleveland. Established in 2025, the team will compete in theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and is scheduled to begin play in 2028. The team is owned by Dan Gilbert, who also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers, and will play its home games atRocket Arena. The franchise will be the second WNBA team in the city's history, following theCleveland Rockers, a charter member of the WNBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
TheCleveland Rockers were Cleveland's firstWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, playing from the league's establishment in 1997 until 2003, when the Gund family decided to not continue operating the team.[1] With no local ownership to be found, the Rockers officially ceased operations in December 2003.[2]
In February 2025, it was reported that Cleveland would likely get a WNBA expansion franchise for the 2028 season; said franchise would be owned byDan Gilbert (owner of theNBA'sCleveland Cavaliers,G League'sCleveland Charge andAHL'sCleveland Monsters) under his Rock Entertainment Group, would join the Cavaliers and Monsters atRocket Arena and would move into the Cavaliers' practice facility inIndependence when the Cavs' new practice facility, the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, was completed.[3]
On June 30, Cleveland was awarded the WNBA's 16th franchise to begin play in the 2028 season;[4] on the same day the 17th franchise was awarded toDetroit to begin play in 2029 and the 18th toPhiladelphia to begin play in 2030.[5]
On July 12, it was reported that the WNBA no longer owned the trademark to the "Cleveland Rockers" name. According to records from theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office, the name was officially registered to Ryan Reed, owner and president of the Women's Basketball League, in October 2024.[6]
