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Cleveland WNBA team

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Cleveland WNBA team
LeagueWNBA
FoundedJune 30, 2025; 1 day ago (2025-06-30)
HistoryCleveland WNBA team
2028–future
ArenaRocket Arena
Capacity19,432
LocationCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
OwnershipDan Gilbert (via Rock Entertainment Group)
Websitewnbacleveland.com

The Cleveland WNBA team is an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Established in 2025, the team will compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA); it is scheduled to begin play in 2028. The team will play its home games at Rocket Arena. The franchise will be the second WNBA team in the city's history, following charter member the Cleveland Rockers in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

History

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The Cleveland Rockers were Cleveland's first 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 by Dan Gilbert (owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, G League's Cleveland Charge and AHL's Cleveland Monsters) under his Rock Entertainment Group, would join the Cavaliers and Monsters at Rocket Arena and would move into the Cavaliers' practice facility in Independence when the Cavs' new practice facility, the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, was completed.[3]

On June 30, 2025, Cleveland was awarded the WNBA's 16th franchise to begin play for the 2028 season;[4] on the same day the 17th franchise was awarded to Detroit to begin play in 2029 and the 18th to Philadelphia to begin play in 2030.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Cavs owner dumps WNBA's Rockers". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. September 20, 2003. p. 2B. Retrieved August 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Cleveland Rockers are out of business". The Charlotte Observer. Bloomberg. December 27, 2003. p. 7C. Retrieved August 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Friend, Tom (2025-02-16). "Cleveland likely to get next WNBA franchise in '28". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  4. ^ "WNBA's 16th Franchise Coming to Cleveland, OH". Cleveland WNBA team. 2025-06-30. Retrieved 2025-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "WNBA Announces Expansion to Historic 18 Teams with New Teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia". Women's National Basketball Association. 2025-06-30. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
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