Cleveland's new WNBA expansion franchise has officially announced its team name as the Sirens, opting for a distinct visual identity that separates it from the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. The team, set to begin play in 2028, unveiled its name, logo, and colors on Tuesday. The nautical branding is a nod to Lake Erie, with the team adopting two shades of blue, "Sirens Blue" and "Erie Blue," rather than the Cavaliers' signature wine and gold.
Allison Howard, president of business operations for the Cleveland Sirens, emphasized the importance of creating a unique identity. "We don't want to be the Lady Cavaliers, and we don't want to be wine and gold. We really need to be very separate, very distinctive," Howard stated during the unveiling event at Rocket Arena. Although the Sirens and Cavaliers are owned by Dan Gilbert's Rock Entertainment Group and will share Rocket Arena, leadership made it clear that the franchises should not share an identity.
The Sirens' logo features the mythical creature beneath the team name, with a hidden "CLE" integrated into the "S" of the wordmark. Howard expects the Sirens to attract a different audience than the Cavaliers, noting differences in their habits and origins.
This approach to branding sets Cleveland apart from several other WNBA teams that share ownership with NBA counterparts and often mirror their associated NBA team's colors and branding, such as the Los Angeles Sparks (Lakers) and Phoenix Mercury (Suns). The Sirens' strategy aligns more closely with teams like the New York Liberty and the Golden State Valkyries, which have established independent visual identities.
Cleveland has a WNBA history, having previously hosted the Cleveland Rockers. The Rockers were one of the league's original eight franchises when the WNBA launched in 1997, named in tribute to the city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The team played for seven seasons before folding in 2003 after its owner was unable to find a buyer.
Former Rockers player Janice Braxton was featured in the team's introductory video, themed "Hear the Call." The new franchise has already garnered approximately 9,000 season-ticket deposits, and Howard anticipates this number will increase now that the team's identity has been revealed.