Cleveland’s incoming WNBA franchise will compete as the Cleveland Sirens when it begins play in 2028, establishing a new identity rather than reviving the name of the city’s former team. The Sirens are scheduled to become the league’s 16th club and will host games at Rocket Arena, which is also home to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

The franchise said its records will be kept separate from those of the city’s former club. The Cleveland Rockers spent the 1997-2003 period in the WNBA. Allison Howard, the Sirens’ president of business operations, said the distinction means the two organizations will remain separate statistical entities. The new club nevertheless plans to recognize that history through an alumni program, and former Rockers players were expected to participate in the brand launch.

The name emerged from a 13-month process involving market research, surveys and thousands of community conversations. Howard said Lake Erie became the central reference point because the organization wanted its identity to reflect a defining regional asset. The resulting branding connects the mythological siren’s call with the franchise’s outlook on women’s basketball and Northeast Ohio.

That concept also shaped the visual system. The logo depicts a siren in motion, while marks beside the wordmark are designed to suggest sound waves. Shades of blue move from darker to lighter tones in a reference to Lake Erie’s depths and surface. Blue also provides a link to the Rockers without transferring the former team’s name or records. The organization previewed the reveal with the phrase “Hear the Call.”

The Sirens will use a 55,000-square-foot performance center that was being used by the Cavaliers and is being converted for the WNBA team. The franchise has also been adding staff and commercial relationships before its first season, including a Cleveland Clinic partnership that encompasses research focused on female athletes. Howard moved into the Sirens role after also serving in senior commercial positions with Rock Entertainment Group and the Cavaliers.

Cleveland received its expansion franchise in June 2025 alongside Detroit and Philadelphia. Detroit is due to enter the WNBA in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Cleveland follows other additions to the expanding league: the Golden State Valkyries arrived in 2025, while the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joined in 2026.

A Professional Women’s Hockey League club in New York is likewise called the Sirens. Howard said the Cleveland organization discussed the overlap but did not view it as a problem because the teams operate in different sports and markets. She also expressed interest in a future collaboration between the two clubs.