2001 Cleveland Rockers Media Guide from the Women's National Basketball Association

Cleveland Rockers

Women’s National Basketball Association (1997-2003)

Tombstone

Born: October 30, 1996 – WNBA founding franchise12001 Cleveland Rockers Media Guide
Folded: December 26, 20032ASSOCIATED PRESS. “WNBA will hold dispersal draft for Rockers players”. The Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, OH). December 27, 2003

First Game: June 21, 1997 (76-56 vs. Houston Comets)
Last Game: September 2, 2003 (L 77-63 @ Detroit Shock)

WNBA Championships: None

Arena

Gund Arena (11,751)32000 Cleveland Rockers Media Guide
Opened: 1994

Marketing

Team Colors: Cyan, Black & Silver42000 Cleveland Rockers Media Guide

Mascot: Rocky (the Raccoon) – introduced during 2000 season

Ownership

 

FWIL FAVORITE

Rockers Scoop Neck Tee

One of the WNBA’s Original Eight in 1997, the Cleveland Rockers carved a different path than many of their league rivals. While most early WNBA clubs adopted derivative identities of their NBA operators (Hornets/Sting, Kings/Monarchs, Rockets/Comets, etc.), the Rockers sought a completely independent identity from the NBA’s Cavaliers.  
This Rockers shirt is also available as a unisex T and in women’s V-neck and racerback tank styles from Old School Shirts!

 

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Background

The Cleveland Rockers were one of the eight original franchises of the Women’s National Basketball Association when the league began play in the summer of 1997.  The Rockers were operated by Gund Arena Company, the owners of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

During the Rockers inaugural season, the team signed women’s basketball legend Lynette Woodard.  Woodard was 37 years old at the time.  She never previously had the opportunity to play professional in her home country, although she gained considerable press attention in 1985 when she became the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters.  Woodard started 27 of the Rockers’ 28 games in 1997 and was sixth on the team in scoring with 7.8 points per game.  She went to the WNBA’s Detroit Shock in an expansion draft in 1998 and retired after one final season.  Woodard was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

On the court, the Rockers see-sawed between winning seasons and truly terrible campaigns, but still managed to make the playoffs in five of their seven years of play. Their deepest postseason run came in 1998 when they won the East Division and then advanced to the playoff semi-finals before losing to the Phoenix Mercury 2 games to 1 in a best-of-three series.

2000 Cleveland Rockers Media Guide

The End

On September 19, 2003, Gund Arena Company announced it would no longer operate the Rockers after seven money-losing seasons.  The announcement concluded a rough week for women’s sports in the United States. The 8-team Women’s United Soccer Association had folded just four days earlier due to similar reasons of financial exhaustion.

Some Rockers fans questioned the timing, given that the Gund ownership had just invested considerable money into NBA #1 overall draft pick LeBron James and could expect to reap a huge windfall in new revenue with James’ arrival.  The WNBA kept the Rockers franchise alive on paper until Christmas time as it sought a buyer for the Rockers in a new market, but none materialized.   The league officially terminated the Rockers franchise the day after Christmas in 2003 and the Rockers players were put into a dispersal draft in early January.

 

Cleveland Rockers Shop

 

 

Cleveland Rockers Video

Links

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Comments

One Response

  1. As a Cleveland resident I was certain that Gund got rid of the Rockers because LeBron came to town. I have written to the WNBA suggesting that they contact Dan Gilbert the current owner of the Cav’s about getting another team here in Cleveland. With team roosters down to only 11 players there are many talented players who are not playing. Mr Gilbert could afford to buy a team as he owns the Cav’s and has holdings in the new casino here in Cleveland. The casino is adjacent to the Q which is now the name of the areana in downtown Cleveland. As a fan I’d love to see another team here and I know it would draw many fans.

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