With interest in women's pro basketball surging, Dan Gilbert's Rock Entertainment Group, which is also tied into the NBA's Cavaliers, is trying to bring a WNBA expansion team to Cleveland.

The Cleveland Rockers, owned by then-Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund, were one of the WNBA's eight original franchises. The Rockers competed for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003 before Gund pulled out, and the team could not find other local ownership.

The Rock Entertainment Group, which serves as the host for Dan Gilbert's sports and entertainment properties—including the Cleveland Cavaliers—is launching

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert plans to pursue a new WNBA team, his holding company Rock Entertainment Group said on Wednesday, hoping to bring women's basketball back to Cleveland more than 20 years after the city's previous team folded.

The Cavs said Thursday they and Rock Entertainment Group had formally submitted a proposal for a WNBA expansion team.

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 be

With WNBA expansion on the horizon, multiple reports say that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert intends to make a bid to bring a franchise back to Cleveland. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has talked about the league having 16 teams by the 2028 season.