By Okon Ekpenyong, with On the Move with Sportzkelz Media

Twenty five years after the original Cleveland Rockers dissolved in 2003, the WNBA team will return to Ohio, with reports indicating the team will retain its original name. The team was one of eight league franchises that began in 1997. It will begin play in 2028.

The team was once beloved, and this announcement, initially reported by Sports Business Journal, surpassed several cities’ bids and raised around $250 million—a record for the league—in hopes of re-joining the WNBA.

When the team played, they were part of the Eastern Conference and played in the 1998 WNBA Semifinals. Unfortunately, they also lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000, fell short in the Conference Semifinal the following year, and lost in the semifinals during their final season. 

Sources reveal that the team will play its home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, sharing the venue with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The training facility is expected to be in Independence, Ohio until the Cavaliers move to a new performance center in Cleveland.

Gordon Gund, who acquired the original team from the WNBA in 2002, chose to cease operations, which led to the team’s dissolution in 2003. Gund also owned the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1984 until 2005.

The return of the Cleveland Rockers will extend from 12 teams to 16, but the league wishes to grow to 18 teams. Other cities, including Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit, and Miami, compete to have a franchise. As of February 2025, there are now three expansion teams listed on the league’s website: Golden State, representing the Bay Area of San Francisco, will commence play in 2025; Portland, located in Oregon, is set to start in 2026; and Toronto, situated in Canada, will also begin its season in 2026. And Cleveland in 2028!

The WNBA has gotten official proposals from multiple ownership groups across the States for expansion and is reviewing these bids. No announcement has yet been made on the league website about the returns of the Rockers, but the speculation has generated significant excitement among fans and the local community.

Therefore, reestablishing the Cleveland Rockers will positively impact Ohio’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Division 1 university teams. The creation of this team will foster a unique mentoring opportunity, enabling young athletes to learn from seasoned professionals, gain crucial insights about the sport, and enhance their skills in a nurturing and competitive environment.

Furthermore, this announcement is fantastic news because having a player like Caitlyn Clark, who currently plays for the Indiana Fever and is the face of the league, visit Cleveland for a game will generate revenue for that region whenever she competes. Clark previously played at the Rocket Mortgage Center during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Division 1 championship game while representing the Iowa Hawkeyes. The entire 2024 Final Four weekend benefited the athletes and contributed to the growth of women’s basketball across Ohio.

When Clark entered the league in 2024, the average turnout for Fever games surpassed 15,000, whether the games were held at home or on the road. A December 2024 Yahoo Finance report stated that television viewership soared 300%, with Fever games making up 45% of the total broadcast value. Overall, the WNBA 2024-2025 season hit a home run with higher attendance and record TV viewership and gained further public interest. 

The Cleveland Rockers’ return is a positive development, particularly given the growing interest in women’s basketball and the WNBA. However, their success on the court will hinge on the players they select in the draft and those they decide to trade for.

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