Lesbian Sports

Cleveland’s WNBA Team Has A Name, Meet the Sirens

August 4, 2026
Sirens announcement video still. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Sirens/X
Sirens announcement video still. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Sirens/X

The new expansion team will hit the court in 2028.

Do you hear the siren song coming from Cleveland? Because the team has announced the new name and logo for the expansion team is, well, the Sirens, and they’re already making a splash.

The Sirens will be headed to Rocket Arena for the 2027 season as one of the upcoming three new teams to join the league’s 15 existing teams, including Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.

This marks the return of the WNBA to Cleveland following the Cleveland Rockers, which ran from 1997-2003. “The enthusiasm and support behind the Cleveland Sirens underscore Cleveland’s role in the league’s next chapter of growth and affirm our readiness for a return of women’s professional basketball,” said Nic Barlage, Rock Entertainment Group CEO, via a press release. “From the beginning, our vision has been to build a franchise that harnesses the power, visibility and opportunity that define this moment in women’s sports and fortifies the city’s momentum.”

While the team’s name became official today, there have been teases online in the lead-up. A sandcastle appeared on the shore of Lake Erie at Edgewater Beach with a basketball and “hear the call” written on the side, in a decidedly Greek font, teasing the mythological creature from Greek legend.


But the color palette has a much more local flavor. The colors are being described as “Sirens Blue” and “Erie Blue,” a nod to both the Great Lake and a callback to the Rockers’ colors, according to the press release.

“The Cleveland Sirens are sharp, unapologetic, fearless and relentless, representative of this region, our Great Lake and the future of our city and women’s basketball,” said Allison Howard, Cleveland Sirens president of business operations. “Powered by unrivaled fandom and a level of civic pride found only on the shores of Lake Erie, the Sirens will sound a new era for women’s basketball while creating space for the next generation to dream even bigger.”

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