After the league announced the additions of Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia franchises in 2025, 2026 brings WNBA fans an expansion franchise in the form of the Cleveland Sirens. With the WNBA enjoying an unprecedented growth phase, fans gathered at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, to witness the unveiling of the team that will bring back the WNBA to this city with a distinctive new identity.

The Cleveland Sirens were unveiled as the 16th team to join the WNBA. Sirens executive Allison Howard explained why the city’s newest WNBA franchise chose to go in a different direction from the Cleveland Cavaliers brand and colors, per reporter Jeremy O’Brien on X.

“We don’t want to be the Lady Cavaliers, and we don’t want to be wine and gold. We really need to be very separate, very distinctive. We love our Cavaliers, and they are such an amazing part of this organization, but this team can exist very much on the independent side of the Cavaliers.”

“And that’s also what we are seeing right now. The demographic is totally different. The demographic that will come to Rocket Arena in 2028 for the Sirens games is going to be very different than the ones that come to the Cavaliers. They eat different food, they drink different drinks, they get here earlier, they purchase merchandise differently, and they come from all over the state and even outside of the state.”

Having a distinct identity was important for the Sirens, considering the financial bet they placed on this franchise’s future, and the emotional connection that the people of the city have with their women’s basketball team.

The Rock Entertainment Group paid a massive $250 million expansion fee to bring this team to fruition. This figure ties Detroit and Philadelphia for the largest ever paid for a WNBA team, double Portland’s fee of $125 million paid just a year ago.

But all early signs point towards a positive trend. The Sirens have already amassed 9,000 season-ticket deposits over the past year, almost two full seasons before a single game has been played. ‘Progressive Insurance’ is already confirmed as their jersey sponsor, as per Cavaliers Nation. The Sirens will play their home games at Rocket Arena beginning in 2028.

Like any new franchise, the management had to be mindful of its decisions involving the team’s symbols.

The Name, Logo, and the City for the Cleveland Sirens

The city of Cleveland has been waiting for a WNBA team’s comeback for 23 years, and so this put extra weight on the front office’s shoulders to honor their legacy and think about the future at the same time. Something that owner Grant Gilbert, Rock Entertainment Group’s vice president of business and basketball operations and the son of the Cavs owner, was conscious of at the outset, per the Cavaliers Nation.

“We really wanted something that people could rally behind a real character. And we’re really excited about that. I think the other aspect of the Siren name and brand that was really considered and that we get very excited about is how authentically it extends just beyond the name and branded logos itself. The potential of the name is endless.”

The new logo of the Sirens depicts the mythological Greek figure of a siren holding a basketball in her outstretched arm. The five waves in the siren’s hair represent both the five players on a basketball court and the five Great Lakes, thus honoring the City’s connection with its geography, according to the Cavaliers Nation.

In December 2003, the original WNBA franchise, the Cleveland Rockers, dissolved after seven seasons. What followed was a struggle phase for both the city and the league. Women’s basketball could not make a return for well over two decades.

For all the fans, this announcement marks the return of their beloved team, albeit in a different avatar. They get to enjoy basketball games round the year, with the Cavs and now with the Sirens. It’s an emotional moment for the city that was there at the WNBA’s inception, and now gets its team back on its 30th anniversary, with a distinctive identity and iconography.