|
“It has long been woven into our mission to
utilize our platform to unite our community in ways that drive
equal opportunities across the board,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of
the Cavs, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage
FieldHouse. "To that end, we are actively pursuing bringing a
WNBA expansion team to Cleveland.
“Cleveland’s vibrant ecosystem of world-class assets, passionate
and engaged sports fans, coupled with a culture that has allowed
professional sports to thrive, make our Team and city uniquely
positioned to provide an ideal home for the W’s next franchise.”
Cleveland previously had a WNBA team — the Rockers — from 1997
to 2003.
The WNBA is adding three expansion teams in the next two seasons
with Golden State, Portland and Toronto joining to boost the
league's franchises to 15. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said
the WNBA would like to add a 16th team by the 2028 season.
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently said he's part
of a group trying to get a WNBA franchise in Kansas City.
Mahomes is already part owner of the Kansas City Current, who
play in the National Women’s Soccer League.
St. Louis and Philadelphia have also been mentioned as possible
WNBA destinations.
Cleveland could have an advantage over the others because of its
strong history with women's basketball and an NBA-sized arena.
The city hosted this year's Women's Final Four at 19,000-seat
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The games were sold out and events
surrounding the weekend drew massive crowds in part because of
Iowa's Caitlin Clark, who led her team to a runner-up finish
before going pro and winning Rookie of the Year with the Indiana
Fever.
Barlage pointed out the success of the Final Four as well as the
city recently hosting the 2021 NFL Draft and 2022 NBA All-Star
Weekend as further proof that a “WNBA Team will thrive in
Northeast Ohio.”
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
