The Voyage · MCMXCVII to MMXXVIII
Every homecoming begins with a leaving.Cleveland had a WNBA team before the league was ten years old. Then it lost it. This is how the city got pro women's basketball back.
1997
When the WNBA tipped off its first season, Cleveland was there. The Rockers were one of the league's original franchises, playing downtown at Gund Arena.
1997 to 2003
For seven years the Rockers gave the city a team to grow up with. Fans still talk about bringing grandparents and kids to games in those years.
2003
The franchise dissolved after the 2003 season when the owner could not find a new buyer. Pro women's basketball left Cleveland at a moment when the league itself was under strain.
2003 to 2025
For two decades there was no team to root for. The Rockers became a memory that fans kept warm, waiting for a reason to hope again.
June 30, 2025
The WNBA awarded expansion teams to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. After twenty-two years, the city was officially back in the league.
August 4, 2026
Thirteen months later, Rock Entertainment Group revealed the identity at Rocket Arena. The team would be known as the Cleveland Sirens, a nod to Lake Erie's pull and the region's unapologetic edge.
2028
The Sirens begin play as the WNBA's sixteenth franchise, back home at Rocket Arena. The countdown is on.