Rock Entertainment Group, which will operate the new Cleveland WNBA expansion franchise, “received more than 2,500 ticket deposits in the first 24 hours” following the league’s announcement that it would return to Cleveland in 2028, with more than 1,000 coming “in the first hour” after the announcement. REG has “averaged nearly three new deposits per minute.” For context, the Portland expansion team hit 5,000 over two weeks and the WNBA’s newest expansion team -- the Valkyries -- got 7,000 season ticket deposits over their first seven months. Cleveland’s social channels “also exploded.” As of Tuesday afternoon, its Instagram account (@ClevelandWNBA) “had surged to 15,000 followers” -- a 700% jump -- while its X page “had quadrupled to 4,000.” The team also “sold more than $25,000 worth of merchandise in the first 24 hours, despite the fact that it doesn’t have a team name and its initial collection (hats, hoodies and T-shirts) features the WNBA logo (a silhouette of a woman with a basketball) and the letters CLE.” REG is also “making new inroads from a corporate sponsorship standpoint,” with several “major brands” in Cleveland reaching out to talk about partnerships (CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 7/1).
Meanwhile, Fever G Sophie Cunningham’s comments to reporters Tuesday “prompted the cities of Cleveland and Detroit to toot their own horns.” Not mentioned by Cleveland was that Cunningham “had mixed up major Ohio cities that begin with a C when she suggested trips there and to Detroit wouldn’t be met with relish by her colleagues.” Cunningham said at the time, “Man, I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or Cincinnati.” Cunningham “mentioned three additional cities reportedly in the running that she would have preferred over the trio announced Monday” -- namely Miami, Nashville and K.C. Cunningham: “You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play? Where are they going to get excited to play and draw fans? ... I’m not so sure what the [WNBA’s] thought process is there.” Cunningham “has seen her popularity grow this year, particularly after she came to the defense” of teammate Caitlin Clark “during a chippy game” against the Sun (WASHINGTON POST, 7/1).
