CLEVELAND — A day is coming in which kids growing up in Northeast Ohio won’t know a reality that doesn’t include a WNBA team in the city of Cleveland, which will bring with it a new set of professional sports role models.
That, as some team officials see it, might be the best element of what will arrive in 2028.
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A WNBA franchise in Cleveland will join the league for the 2028 season. City leaders came together Sept. 16 at Rocket Arena to officially announce and celebrate the return of women’s professional sports to Cleveland’s resume.
The new franchise announcement comes on the heels of Cleveland hosting the 2024 Women’s Final Four, which brought $35 million of economic impact to the city.
“This investment is going to go a long way to show the nation that Cleveland can be a mecca for women’s sports,” said Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb. “Not only are we excited about the economic impact this investment will have, but what I’m most excited about is the fact that Cleveland will have a place where young athletes, but especially our female athletes, feel like they don’t need to go to New York or D.C. or L.A. They can live their God-given potential right here in this great city.”
Cleveland’s franchise — more specific branding details are expected to be announced in early in 2026 — joins the league during a wave of momentum that has led to expansion. The city’s bid, led by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, won out over more than a dozen other options.
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“Cleveland is joining the WNBA family at a time that I think is the most exciting time in the history of our league,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “When we started to explore expansion opportunities, we looked for markets that could deliver on three things: a committed ownership group, a passionate and dedicated fan base and a community that embraces the power of women’s sports. Cleveland delivers on all three.”
A panel discussion for students on women’s basketball during a Cleveland WNBA event, Sept. 16, 2025, features (from left) Cavaliers in-arena host Kierra Cotton, WNBA VP of Ticket Sales and Service Kiersten Green, Cleveland WNBA President of Business Operations Allison Howard, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and WNBA Director of Youth Basketball Operations Jessica Davis.
WNBA Cleveland franchise to be integrated with Cavaliers, Charge programs and facilities
The Cleveland WNBA franchise will join the Cavaliers and their G-League affiliate, the Charge, as pro basketball teams based in the city. The addition of a WNBA team into that mix is, as many see it, much bigger than simply tacking on another basketball team.
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“This was a generational gift to the city of Cleveland, to Northeast Ohio,” said Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman. “It was a gift to the state of Ohio when you think about bringing a women’s professional basketball team, because it’s going to reshape our future heroes. It’s going to reshape all our young people here today who are the next role models. And that’s tremendously exciting for everybody.”
Altman detailed the type of integration into the “basketball ecosystem” the Cleveland WNBA franchise can expect. In many ways, this franchise and the Cavaliers (along with the Charge as an affiliate) won’t be isolated.
“From Day 1, the WNBA players will immediately be connected to our professional basketball ecosystem,” Altman said. “We take a lot of pride in the Cavaliers, the Charge. We have a beautiful facility in Independence, Cleveland Clinic Courts, which we invested a lot of money in and our women are going to be able to take hold of one of the premier practice facilities in the world. … It’s going to serve them well, just like it served our Cavs.”
The Cavs’ main practice operations will be moving to the Global Peak Performance Center, which is currently under construction not far from Rocket Arena. The WNBA franchise also will be able to utilize that facility while often operating out of Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.
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The new franchise also will be integrated into many of the programs currently used by Cavs and Charge players.
“We’re truly committed to competing for championships across the basketball ecosystem that we have here,” Altman said. “And certainly, with the women’s team that’s coming in 2028, we talk about player development, we talk about holistic care from nutrition to performance, the recovery, all that is going to be available from Day 1 to our women’s basketball players.”
In that way, the franchise won’t simply have to start from the ground up, though a great deal still has to be sorted out at different deadlines ahead of its first WNBA game for the 2028 season. Many of the branding decisions still need to be announced. A front office will have to be put together, along with a coaching staff. An expansion draft will be held in 2027 to put together the initial roster.
A series of basketball camps and programs also will be available between Sept. 16 and June 30, 2026.
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“From today until June 30, you can expect clinics that spark competition, camps that build skills, training sessions for coaches and development programs that are designed to create real pathways,” said Allison Howard, Cleveland WNBA president of business operations.” Make no mistake, this is just the beginning, because empowering the next generation is what this team is built for.”
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: WNBA team coming to Cleveland: City celebrates women’s pro basketball