Why the WNBA’s New Cleveland Sirens Won’t Face a Trademark Fight
The Sirens will make their WNBA debut in 2028.
The Cleveland WNBA franchise, set to begin play in 2028, will be known as the Sirens. The name is derived from Lake Erie, a prominent feature of the city. Team colors are "Sirens Blue" and "Erie Blue," as stated by team president Allison Howard. Rock Entertainment Group, owners of the NBA’s Cavaliers, are the team's owners. The organization conducted extensive research over a year to choose the name and branding, including focus groups.
Notably, the New York Sirens, part of the PWHL, also use the name without any issues. Trademark expert Alexandra Jane Roberts suggests that the likelihood of consumer confusion is minimal due to differences in city, logos, and sports. The Cleveland Sirens filed a trademark claim in May 2026, with CLE Travel Sports, LLC, acting as the entity.
The WNBA faces opposition from another league, the Women’s Basketball League, over the rights to the Cleveland Rockers name. Cleveland opted not to return to the Rockers name, previously used from 1997 to 2003, to avoid conflict with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Sirens will play at Rocket Arena, the same home as the Cavaliers, with a capacity of around 19,500 fans.
Expansion teams in Philadelphia and Detroit are set to join in 2029 and 2030, respectively, increasing the league's regular-season games from 44 to 50 by 2029.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
