Cleveland Sirens unveil name and branding for WNBA expansion team

CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s WNBA expansion team had three priorities for the franchise’s name.

It had to have its own identity and not be related to the Cavaliers. It needed to tie into Lake Erie. And fans wanted something progressive.

The Cleveland Sirens think they accomplished all three Tuesday when they introduced the name and branding during an event on Tuesday at Rocket Arena.

The WNBA’s 16th team will begin play in 2028. Cleveland was home to one of the league’s original franchises when the WNBA started in 1997, but the Rockers folded in 2003 when owner Gordon Gund could not find a new buyer.

Franchises coming to Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) have yet to announce names or branding. Philly’s franchise will be owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 76ers, and will share an arena with the Sixers and Flyers.

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Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group, which has owned the Cavaliers since 2005, paid a $250 million expansion fee for Cleveland’s return to the WNBA.

Janice Braxton, who played for the Rockers for three seasons (1997 to 1999), narrated a video introducing the name and the theme of “Hear the Call.”

Braxton, along with other former Rockers players, also attended Tuesday’s event.

“We were at dinner with them last night, and we gave them a sneak peak of the video,” Sirens president of business operations Allison Howard said, “and they were overwhelming in their support and clapped several different times.”

The logo features a Siren underneath the name. The “S” in the wordmark also conceals “CLE.” The two shades of blue take inspiration from Lake Erie and the Rockers logo.

“We really wanted something that people could rally behind a real character. And we’re really excited about that,” said Grant Gilbert, Rock Entertainment Group’s vice president of business and basketball operations. “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.”

Over the past year, Cleveland has had 9,000 deposits for season tickets. Howard expects that to increase now that the name has been announced.

“This team can exist very much on the independent side of the Cavaliers,” Howard said. “And that’s also what we are seeing right now. The demographic is totally different. 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.”