Cleveland is expected to be the next city to join the WNBA. Sports Business Journal broke the news Sunday that if chosen for the league’s expansion, the team would recur as Cleveland Rockers in 2028.
Sources tell SBJ that Cleveland has a 90% chance of being part of the league expansion as the 16th franchise. The team would play at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland’s hockey team the Monsters.
A $250 million bid was announced by Rock Entertainment Group for Cleveland to get a WNBA expansion team.
The WNBA applied to trademark the original Rockers moniker, including the names of three other franchises such as the Houston Comets, the Detroit Shock, and Miami Sol. Three expansion teams are set to join the league in the next two years.
Suggested: Why the Cleveland Rockers Left 20 Years Ago
The league’s 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, which paid $50 million to join the WNBA, will launch in May. The league’s 14th and 15th franchises, Toronto Tempo and Portland. Fire, paid $115 million and $125 million. Houston is most likely to lead as the league’s 17th franchise.
In response to the reports, Mayor Justin Bibb posted on the social media app X.
“THE CLEVELAND ROCKERS ARE BACK!!!,” he wrote.
The Rockers played from 1997 to 2003. The team’s original owner Gordon Gund could not sell the team due to revenue and lack of attendance. A frequent playoff team, the Rockers had a loyal following, though. Some former players and coaches, who we talked to in this 2024 feature, felt the drafting of LeBron James led to dissolution of team.
“It was disheartening, and it was a business,” says Rockers All-Star forward Chasity Melvin. “They knew LeBron James was going to be a savior. They had to sell us. I really think if they didn’t get a pick that would change the stratosphere, the Rockers might still be in Cleveland.”
Now, they just may be once again.
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