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Cleveland Likely to Revive WNBA Franchise That Folded in 2003
With interest in the WNBA growing by the day, there appears to be even more expansion in sight.
According to Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend, the league is preparing to award the city of Cleveland the WNBA's 16th franchise. The bid is reportedly set to be worth approximately $250 million—a league record.
The WNBA currently sits at 13 teams with the Golden State Valkyries embarking on their inaugural season in 2025. The Toronto Tempo and an unnamed Portland franchise are set to join in 2026—and now Cleveland in '28.
Sources tell our @tomfriendwriter that the newest WNBA expansion franchise will go to Cleveland.
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) February 16, 2025
The team is expected to join the league as the Cleveland Rockers in 2028, reprising the name of the original WNBA team that folded in 2003.
MORE: https://t.co/HARnHNKDIQ pic.twitter.com/4QBAi1usFn
"The sources put Cleveland’s expansion chances as high as 90%—with an announcement expected no later than March," Friend wrote on Sunday. He added that the team will play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse—the same arena as the Cavaliers—and will revive the "Rockers" nickname of Cleveland's original WNBA franchise that folded in 2003.
"[Sources] said the WNBA has re-thought its original plan of adding just one team and could award one or two more franchises to bring its league total to 18 clubs," the Sports Business Journal report also added. "The presumed leaders for the second and third teams are Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit and Miami."
The WNBA reportedly applied to trademark the nickname "Rockers" last week, as well as "Houston Comets," "Detroit Shock" and "Miami Sol".
The 2025 WNBA season is fast approaching, with the draft set for April 14 and the regular season beginning on May 16.
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Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.