Cleveland’s WNBA Expansion Franchise Unveils ‘Sirens’ Identity, Deliberately Distancing From Cavaliers Brand

Cleveland’s incoming WNBA expansion franchise introduced itself Tuesday as the Sirens, drawing inspiration from mythical sea creatures and Lake Erie while establishing a distinct visual identity separate from the city’s NBA counterpart. The team will debut during the 2028 season and is owned by Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group, the same ownership entity behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Team leadership explicitly rejected the notion of mirroring the Cavaliers’ branding. Sirens President of Business Operations Allison Howard stated the organization wanted the franchises to remain visually and operationally independent, adopting two shades of blue—”Sirens Blue” and “Erie Blue”—rather than the Cavaliers’ wine and gold palette. The logo depicts the mythical creature beneath the team name, with the “S” in the wordmark containing a hidden “CLE” reference.

Howard emphasized that despite shared ownership and use of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the two teams will serve different audiences with distinct consumer behaviors. She noted Sirens fans would likely differ in food and merchandise preferences while traveling from across Ohio and beyond to attend games.

The Sirens’ approach differs from several other WNBA franchises that share color schemes with NBA counterparts, including the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury. Instead, Cleveland followed the model of the New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries in maintaining visual separation from their NBA neighbors.

Cleveland previously hosted the Rockers, one of the WNBA’s eight original franchises in 1997, before the team folded in 2003. Former Rockers player Janice Braxton narrated Tuesday’s unveiling video, with several ex-Rockers players attending the event.

The franchise has already accumulated approximately 9,000 season-ticket deposits ahead of the official name reveal, with executives anticipating growth now that the team’s identity is public.