NEW YORK and CLEVELAND – The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced today that Cleveland, Ohio, will be home to the league's 16th team. The Cleveland organization, set to begin play in the 2028 season, will be operated by Rock Entertainment Group (REG), the umbrella entity that houses Dan Gilbert's sports and entertainment properties under the ROCK Family of Companies.

The team will play its home games at the renowned Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland, a state-of-the-art 19,000-seat arena that recently hosted the sold-out 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four. Additionally, Cleveland Clinic Courts will become the exclusive training and practice facility of the Cleveland WNBA team. Opened in September 2007 and located less than 10 miles south of Rocket Arena in Independence, OH, Cleveland Clinic Courts is a premier, 52,000+ sq. ft. practice facility widely known as one of the top facilities in professional basketball.

“Cleveland is a city built on loyalty, pride, and a deep passion for the game of basketball,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We’re excited to welcome Cleveland back to the WNBA at a time of extraordinary momentum for our league. As one of our original eight franchises, this city played a foundational role in the WNBA’s early days, and we’re honored to return and build on that legacy. We’re incredibly grateful to Dan Gilbert and Rock Entertainment Group for their commitment to bringing women’s professional basketball back to Northeast Ohio – and we can’t wait to see the impact this team will have on and off the court.”

"The WNBA's return to Cleveland marks a pivotal moment for women's sports. Years from now, we will reflect on this day as a truly monumental point in Cleveland's sporting history," said Dan Gilbert, Rock Entertainment Group Chairman. "The passion, support, and continued commitment of our community for our professional sports teams played an integral role in making this possible. We're confident that this team will honor our city's enthusiastic support of women's sports, reinvigorate our WNBA fanbase, and help cultivate the next generation of women's basketball enthusiasts and athletes. We're grateful to the WNBA and Commissioner Engelbert for this opportunity and for their unwavering belief in Cleveland."

In 2005, Dan Gilbert acquired the Cleveland Cavaliers, and under his leadership, the team has clinched seven Central Division championships, five Eastern Conference titles, and, most notably, the 2016 NBA Championship. Gilbert's diverse sports portfolio also includes the Cleveland Charge (NBA G League affiliate) and the Cleveland Monsters (AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets).

This past October, Gilbert's Cleveland Cavaliers and Bedrock broke ground on the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, an elite sports performance training facility in downtown Cleveland on the Cuyahoga Riverfront, which is expected to open in 2027. The Performance Center will span more than 210,000 square feet, and in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, WNBA players will have access to cutting-edge performance technologies and world-class medical care.

This expansion announcement comes amid the WNBA's historic growth. Cleveland joins a rapidly expanding WNBA, which will grow to 18 teams by 2030, with additions in Golden State (2025), Toronto (2026), Portland (2026), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030). In addition to expansion, the WNBA recently signed a groundbreaking new media rights deal. In the past few years, the league has shattered records for viewership, attendance, merchandise sales, social media engagement, digital subscriptions (WNBA League Pass), and app downloads. The city's new team will mark the return of women's professional basketball to Cleveland for the first time since the Cleveland Rockers, one of the league's original eight organizations.

Fans who wish to place a $28 initial payment for a future Cleveland WNBA team membership can do so at WNBACleveland.com. For updates and more information, fans can follow @ClevelandWNBA on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. They can also subscribe to text alerts by texting WCLE to 30594.

Chuck Nowlin