Cleveland Cavaliers joins race for WNBA expansion team as Caitlin Clark effect continues

The revolution sparked by Caitlin Clark means Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is backing a bid to bring a WNBA franchise to the city.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sought to grow the league to 16 basketball teams by 2028, taking advantage of the incredible spike in popularity in the game over the last year or so.

As exceptional as the likes of Aja Wilson , Sabrina Ionescu , and Breanna Stewart are, this exciting WNBA revolution has been ignited by the wonderous offensive ability of Clark , along with the other members of a transcendent rookie class.

With womens basketball and the WNBA experiencing a tremendous trajectory, several cities are coming to the table with their pitches to bring a team to town.

Cleveland is one such site; officials in the Ohio city are confident a WNBA franchise will thrive alongside the NBA s Cavaliers, NFL s Browns , MLB s Guardians, and American Hockey Leagues Monsters.

LeBron James takes break from social media with Lakers star tired of 'hate and negativity' Unrivaled rosters announced as decision made on Caitlin Clark after $1m offer The Golden State Valkyries are set to be the 13th WNBA franchise, with their debut season coming in 2025 while franchises have been awarded to both Toronto and Portland.

With the Cavs off to their best start in history and sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-1 record, owner Gilbert is ready to move for a WNBA team.

Cleveland is a real crazy sports town, said David Gilbert, CEO of the Cleveland Sports Commission.

Its so closely tied to the identity of the city thats had, the last couple of generations, some tough times.

He added: I just feel extraordinarily confident that, should a team be given to Cleveland, in part because of the city, in part because of what sports means here, in part because of the Cavs, it would immediately be a huge success.

The bid - which includes a website where fans can vote on the team name and show support - is strengthened by the Cavs recent announcement that the franchise is teaming up with the Cleveland Clinic to create a new Performance Center to provide high-level training for the team and the public.

The Cavs also have an existing practice facility in Independence, Ohio, which is ready-made for a WNBA team to take over.

Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news This would not be the first time Cleveland has entered the WNBA.

The city hosted one of the leagues original franchises, the Cleveland Rockers, from 1997-2003.

The Rockers folded after seven seasons, citing low attendance and minimal profits.

However, the WNBA is now experiencing a major boom.

Last month, the WNBA Finals delivered its most-watched game in 25 years, while the league enjoyed its best attendance record in 22 years with merchandise sales up more than 600 percent from 2023.

Ahead of the WNBA Finals, which saw the New York Liberty defeat the Minnesota Lynx in thrilling circumstances, Engelbert outlined how plenty of cities have expressed interest, including Denver, Miami, Milwaukee, St.

Louis, and Philadelphia.

The good news is we have a lot of demand from many cities, Engelbert said.

I think the more people are watching the WNBA and seeing what were growing here and seeing these players and the product on the court, the more people are interested in having it in their cities.

Were not in a huge rush.

Wed like to bring it in in 27 or no later than 28.

Ultimately, the WNBA has identified several factors to guide their search, including practice facilities, a committed ownership group, demographics, and Fortune 500 companies.

Its up to Gilbert and Cleveland to convince the league..

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