With a new CBA in tow and significant dialogue surrounding the league, the WNBA’s ambitious expansion plan marches on. Tuesday marked another important moment in that journey, as Cleveland announced the name of the team it will debut in 2028.
The Sirens will be the the W’s 16th team in its current model.
Last season, the Golden State Valkyries foraged into the league and instantly impressed. A knee injury cut Kayla Thornton’s All-Star season short, but Veronica Burton earned WNBA Most Improved Player honors and their leader, Natalie Nakase, was named WNBA Coach of the Year, as Golden State became the W’s first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
This time around, the W introduced a pair of new teams, the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. Neither is in the playoff picture at the moment; however, the Fire are fourth in the league in average home attendance, according to Across the Timeline, and the Tempo features the W’s sixth-leading scorer in first-time All-Star Marina Mabrey, who is posting 20.9 points per game and tied single-game WNBA records with 53 points and nine 3-pointers in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 25.
The Cleveland Sirens will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, the home of Dan Gilbert’s sports and entertainment properties. Gilbert famously owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he acquired in 2005. Since, the Cavaliers have won five Eastern Conference titles and one NBA championship.
Like the Cavs, the Sirens will play in Rocket Arena.
This story is being updated.
