CLEVELAND SIRENS NAMED AS WNBA EXPANSION FRANCHISE FOR 2028

Rock Entertainment Group unveiled the Cleveland Sirens as the name and branding for Cleveland's WNBA expansion franchise on Tuesday. The team will debut in 2028 as the league's 16th franchise and will play at Rocket Arena. The name draws from Greek mythology, referencing a figure known for a powerful voice capable of luring sailors. Grant Gilbert, Rock Entertainment Group's vice president of business and basketball operations, stated that the organisation sought "something that people could rally behind, a real character".

The Sirens' identity represents a departure from Cleveland's previous WNBA team, the Rockers, which folded in 2003 after six seasons when their owner could not find a buyer, leaving the city without a WNBA franchise for over two decades. The brand's colour was created to pay homage to the original Rockers franchise, and former Rockers players attended the unveiling event. Allison Howard, team president of business operations, said the Sirens would operate as an independent entity from the Cavaliers, despite sharing ownership and an arena. Howard noted that "the demographic is totally different" between the two franchises.

The Sirens will be the first of three approved WNBA expansion markets to launch, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. The league initially considered relocating the Connecticut Sun to Cleveland, but those negotiations did not result in a sale. The expansion award instead granted Cleveland a brand-new franchise.