It was recently revealed that the WNBA's next expansion team will be located in Cleveland, Ohio, according to the Sports Business Journal. Expansion has been a priority for the league in recent years, as the WNBA's 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries will make their debut in 2025. Meanwhile, the Toronto Tempo and a team from Portland are expected to join the WNBA in 2026. The new Cleveland team, which is reportedly expected to be called the Rockers, will join the WNBA in 2028, the Sports Business Journal reports.
The Cleveland Rockers return to the league
The Cleveland Rockers initially were part of the WNBA in 1997, the league's first season. With the city being known for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockers nickname certainly made sense. Cleveland continued to play in the league until 2003. The team's ownership group decided not to continue with the Rockers, as they felt that the team did not draw enough fans.
Cleveland's WNBA franchise ended up stopping play after the '03 campaign. With the recent surge in the popularity of the league, though, Cleveland is set to return to the WNBA.
In 2024, the league had only 12 total teams. By 2028, the WNBA is expected to have 16 total teams. The league's immense growth is undeniable and the future is certainly bright.
Cleveland had plenty of competition in WNBA expansion pursuit
Many cities have displayed interest in having a WNBA franchise. Miami, Detroit, Houston, Austin and Nashville are just a few of the cities that were linked to potential WNBA expansion. After it was announced that Toronto and Portland would also get franchises in addition to Golden State, cities began to submit their bids for the 16th franchise.
The WNBA surely wants an even amount of teams, so cities knew that they would be looking for a 16th team. Hope is not lost for the other cities' aspirations of joining the league, however.
If the WNBA continues to increase in popularity, the league may decide to expand even further. Perhaps they will consider adding two more franchises before too long. It should be noted that further expansion is only speculation, but it is something that may come to fruition in the future.
At the moment, the league is prepared to have a 16-team league by the 2028 campaign with Cleveland set to make its highly-anticipated return to the WNBA.