Together starts noW: WNBA Cleveland gets involved in The Land

Courtesy of the Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland's WNBA team won't take to the court until 2028, but its leadership team is already getting out into the community, building relationships with fans, and becoming a staple in The Land.

The W Sports Bar hosted a panel last week featuring the front office leaders of Cleveland's W team: Allison Howard, President of Business Operations; Kiersten Green, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service; and Tamzin Barroilhet, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Commercial Strategy.

Here is all that fans of WNBA Cleveland, such as myself, got to learn and hear at the panel!

Howard, Green, and Barroilhet are building Cleveland's new WNBA team from the ground up, keeping Cleveland and its community at the center.

"Already having a passionate fanbase is what made us get started now," said Howard. "We love being out in the community and hearing what the community wants to see. We want to be woven into the fabric of Cleveland, and that starts with events like this."

Barroilhet described being a part of the team as being her biggest passion and life project, and the blend of all her dreams coming into one, both on and off the court. "I cannot express how humbled and excited I am to be a part of this and get to do it alongside these women and the Cleveland community. We are going to see and do things that no other team has done before," she said.

Cleveland has already given a big, excited, and warm welcome to its future WNBA team, which was officially announced on June 30.

"We have almost 7,000 initial payments. The goal is to hit 20,000 by next summer, which will put us in a position that only the Golden State Valkyries have achieved. Right now, it's important to be in the community and build genuine relationships, and work on our footprint in Northeast Ohio and the state as a whole," said Green.

"Since the announcement for the team, I've heard so many stories from different generations with a passionate tie to the Cleveland Rockers, and I can't wait to unpack it and bring out the crazy Cleveland fans that I know you all are," said Barroilhet.

It's true, Cleveland fans are just a little crazy. But we're fans who are passionate about our teams, will love them through a 52-year championship drought (the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead), and show up at every game every time. We're ready to finally have a women's team again, and we will show up for them just the same.

The return of the W to Cleveland has also brought out a new audience and represents a new era in the city and community.

"The vast majority of initial payments are not from current Cavaliers, Monsters, or Charge ticket holders. That tells us it's a great opportunity to engage with a whole new fanbase that's in Cleveland," said Howard.

This untapped market in Cleveland shows the city's diversity and gives the team the chance to become the most inclusive team in all sports.

"We want to be genuine and intentional in how we're going out into the community and making sure everyone feels included," said Green.

Howard emphasized making Rocket Arena, home of the Cavs and Monsters, and where Cleveland's W team will also play, a welcoming space for all fans. "We want to make sure that at Rocket Arena, there's a seat for everyone and prices are accessible. It's been awesome experiencing how welcoming the team already is for so many different people. The W truly is for everybody, and we want to make sure Rocket Arena is safe, welcoming, and opening for everybody," she said.

Tamzin Barroilhet, Allison Howard, and Kiersten Green, courtesy of WNBA Cleveland

Cleveland's WNBA team has a great blueprint to work with, build on, and put a spin on as the fourth team under Rock Entertainment Group (joining the Cavaliers of the NBA, Charge of the NBA G-League, and Monsters of the AHL). The team is in the best hands with Dan Gilbert, co-founder and chairman of REG and majority owner of the Cavs. Howard said, "Gilbert leads very intentionally, and he reinvests back into Cleveland to make it the best it can be. The Cavs put money back into the community, players, and fans, and are a 'more than profit' organization."

The leadership team wants Cleveland's W team to have synergy with the Cavs, while also being conscious of staying separate from the other REG teams because of the uniqueness that comes with women's sports.

When it comes to creating the team's identity, Cleveland's WNBA leadership team wants to find balance with the old and the new. Cleveland was home to one of the original WNBA teams, the Cleveland Rockers, from 1997 to 2003, and many fans hold that team close. While the team's name hasn't been decided on yet, the process of choosing that name and developing the identity of the new team is being done with careful, intentional consideration of the city of Cleveland and the desires of its community.

"We're currently working with a local Cleveland woman with a brand survey, helping source the sentiment of the team identity. We don't want to be biased. We've heard the love of the Rockers, but has Cleveland changed? Is there a new opportunity to tell the story of the future of Cleveland? There's a real way to honor the Rockers and honor what the Rockers left in Cleveland," said Howard.

The team is already incredibly active in and committed to the community of Cleveland.

Green shared that the Cavs have the largest youth program in the NBA. Cleveland's WNBA team will balance those current programs while also creating new initiatives. They'll look to make an impact that goes beyond just the game of basketball. They want to give back to the community, help girls gain confidence and keep them involved with sports, show young women that there's a path for them in sports, and utilize a partnership with University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic to finally get much-needed research when it comes to women's health, especially for women athletes.

"The trajectory of women's sports in the past three years is nothing anyone could've predicted. The best news is there's no going back. Women will get to, if not better than, where the men are, especially in the W," said Howard.

Cleveland getting a W team is going to be mutually beneficial for the growth of the league, women's sports as a whole, and the city of Cleveland. With the excitement and success already in Cleveland's major professional sports in the Cavs and Guardians (did I forget someone?), the W team will fit right into a city with passionate fans ready for the next step in sports. It's a bad time to not watch and support women's sports (get with it already!) and to hate on Cleveland (I mean, seriously, have you even visited this city?).

As for the question everyone in Cleveland wants to know: what will the city's WNBA team be named? Well, the name of Cleveland's WNBA team is...

Going to be revealed at the beginning of next year!

But for now, you can support WNBA Cleveland by following them on social media, looking out for their events in Cleveland, making your initial ticket payment, and buying merch.

2028 may still be a couple of years away, but Cleveland is already ready to rock with its W team!

WNBA Cleveland's biggest fan, courtesy of Alyssa Klauminzer

P.S. I expect Cleveland's WNBA team to get a ring before its NFL team does!

Edited by: Kelly Cassette