If you’re one of the more than 7,000 fans who plunked down a season-ticket deposit for Cleveland’s new WNBA team, you might have spotted a survey asking for your thoughts on what to call it.
The survey listed a handful of options currently under consideration, including names that keep surfacing online: Founders, Crown, Rockers, Novas, Riveters, and Sirens.
So those must be the finalists, right? Not necessarily. While those six may be in the mix — and Rockers definitely is — team officials say it’s way too early to carve anything in hardwood.
Rock Entertainment Group (REG) — the Cavaliers’ parent company — is still deep in the data-gathering phase, pulling opinions from surveys and focus groups.
To help that process, REG brought in a third-party firm to run the surveys and compile fan feedback. Cleveland’s jersey design is due to Nike within the next year, and the franchise still has to line up two corporate patch partners to include in the final look, so the clock is ticking.
Nic Barlage — the CEO of the Cavs, REG and Rocket Arena — said earlier this month that the organization has sent three potential names to the league office for preliminary approval and expects to make a final decision in January, though the winner won’t necessarily be one of those three.
“The interest and support around our efforts to deliver a WNBA team to this great region remains a true testament to this community's strength,” the team said in a statement to Crain’s. “We continue to develop our Cleveland WNBA brand identity through a thoughtful, inclusive process that blends our fans’ insights and perspectives, while positioning this team for the future. At this stage, we have not made any determinations. We will continue to engage and listen to our fans and community through various strategic outreach initiatives.
“The character of this team will be woven into the fabric of Ohio, reflecting the passion, spirit and pride that unite us. Our brand identity, including the name and logo, will be unveiled in early 2026.”
In other words, everything is still on the table — including the color scheme. While fans have already snapped up plenty of orange WNBA merchandise, that color is part of the league's branding. It’s not a hint at the future team name or a sign that the Rockers (who had an orange and blue color scheme) are the favorites to return.
To use a hypothetical, REG could decide on, say, the Cleveland Emeralds (in honor of the Cleveland Metroparks’ Emerald Necklace) — assuming, of course, that it doesn’t conflict with the trademark of the Eugene Emeralds, a High-A baseball team in Oregon, which is another layer to this process.
So far, the only name appearing in trademark databases is “Cleveland Rockers,” with both WNBA Enterprises LLC (the league’s corporate arm) and a Detroit-based company called Women’s Basketball League Inc. (possibly connected to Dan Gilbert) seeking approval.
As for the fan survey, deposit holders weren’t just asked to rank those six names — they could also suggest their own.
It also asked what kind of personality the team should have — options included bold and ambitious, chic and polished, playful and energetic — and what should influence the name: Cleveland’s industrial roots, Lake Erie, downtown’s energy, or a modern take on the city.
Fans weighed in on what the name should represent — local pride, female strength, iconic landmarks, and a pioneering spirit — and what kind of imagery fits best, from powerful to whimsical to elegant. All that feedback will help shape the team’s identity.
For now, most of Cleveland’s WNBA merch just says CLE.
The name itself? Still TBD.