Cleveland Rockers

The Cleveland Rockers was a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which started in 1997. The owner was Gordon Gund, who at the time also owned the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. In September 2003, Gund announced that his Gund Arena Company would no longer operate the Rockers. The team folded after the 2003 season as the league was not able to find new ownership for the team.

Franchise history

The city of Cleveland was granted one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA. The Cleveland Rockers got their nickname from Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1997, they started with such players like Isabelle Fijalkowski and former Harlem Globetrotters member Lynette Woodard, who had been the first female player in Globetrotter history.

The Rockers finished 15-13 in the first WNBA season ever, missing the playoffs in 1997. In 1998, the Rockers went 20-10 and won the Eastern Conference title. However, the Rockers lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA semi-finals (before the WNBA split the playoffs by conference).

After a dismal 1999 season, the 2000 Rockers went 17-15, making the playoffs again. In the first round, the Rockers would defeat the Orlando Miracle 2-1. But the Rockers season would end in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the New York Liberty 2-1.

The Rockers had their best regular season in 2001, going 22-10 and winning the Eastern Conference, getting the #1 seed. But the Rockers would be up-ended by the Charlotte Sting in the first round, losing two games to one. The 2002 Rockers fell by 12 games over the previous year's mark, posting a 10-22 record. In 2003, the Rockers would go 17-17, good enough for the #4 seed in the East, however they would fall in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Detroit Shock, 2-1.

Folding

After the 2002 season, the Gunds decided to buy the Rockers from the WNBA, seemingly ensuring the Rockers future. However, despite fielding competitive teams and having decent attendance for most games, the Gund family decided they did not wish to operate the Rockers after the 2003 season. No local ownership was found for the team, forcing the Rockers to fold. The Rockers ceased operation after seven seasons, posting an all-time record of 108-112.

Season-by-season records

|- |colspan="6" align=center bgcolor="#0047AB" | Cleveland Rockers |- |1997 || 15 || 13 || .536 || || |- |1998 || 20 || 10 || .667 || Lost WNBA Semifinals || Phoenix 2, Cleveland 1 |- |1999 || 7 || 25 || .219 || || |- |2000 || 17 || 15 || .531 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Finals || Cleveland 2, Orlando 1
New York 2, Cleveland 1 |- |2001 || 22 || 10 || .688 || Lost First Round || Charlotte 2, Cleveland 1 |- |2002 || 10 || 22 || .313 || || |- |2003 || 17 || 17 || .500 || Lost First Round || Detroit 2, Cleveland 1 |- |- |Totals || 108 || 112 || .491 || || |- |Playoffs || 6 || 9 || .400 || |}

Retired numbers

None

Hall of Famers

• Lynette Woodard (Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame)

Not to be forgotten

Mery Andrade Lucienne Berthieu Tully Bevilaqua, now a member of the Indiana Fever Tricia Bader Binford, now coaches at Montana State University Cindy Blodgett, now coaches at the University of Maine Jenny Boucek, now coaches the Sacramento Monarchs Rushia Brown Helen Darling, now a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars Michelle Edwards Isabelle Fijalkowski Tracy Henderson Deanna Jackson Pollyanna Johns-Kimbrough

Merlakia Jones Betty Lennox, now a member of the Atlanta Dream Anita Maxwell Suzie McConnell Serio, now coaches at Duquesne University Chasity Melvin, now a member of the Chicago Sky Eva Nemcova Jennifer Rizzotti, now coaches at the University of Hartford Paige Sauer, now an assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado Raegon Scott, now coaches at Utah State University Penny Taylor, now a member of the Phoenix Mercury LaToya Thomas, now a member of the Minnesota Lynx Ann Wauters, now a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars Lynette Woodard

Coaches and others

Head Coaches:

• Linda Hill-MacDonald (1997-1999), now coaches at the University at Buffalo
• Dan Hughes (2000-2003), now coaches the San Antonio Silver Stars