Progressive Insurance Secures Cleveland WNBA Jersey Sponsorship

Progressive Insurance announced on Tuesday that it will be the jersey patch sponsor for Cleveland's new WNBA team, which is slated to begin play in May 2028. This marks the first time in the WNBA that a single sponsor will occupy both available jersey sponsorship locations: the upper left corner patch and the larger space below the numbers on the front of the uniform. The WNBA has allowed teams to sell these jersey patch placements since 2009, with the Phoenix Mercury being the first team to secure a jersey sponsor that year.

Mari Pumarejo, Progressive's chief marketing officer, stated that while the company has a smaller partnership with the Chicago Sky, the Cleveland deal is particularly significant. Progressive, headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, saw the WNBA's expansion to Cleveland as a natural fit and actively pursued the opportunity. Pumarejo highlighted that discussions with the team's president of business operations, Allison Howard, revealed aligned values and a shared vision for supporting women's sports, the community, and the city.

This sponsorship agreement is a key development following Cleveland being granted an expansion team on June 30, 2025. The city has a history with the WNBA, having hosted the Cleveland Rockers, one of the league's original franchises, from 1997 until their folding in 2003. In the year leading up to the announcement, the prospective Cleveland team has garnered significant community interest, evidenced by 9,000 season ticket deposits. Allison Howard noted that the team's readiness to engage with the community early on has been driven by the public's eagerness for information and involvement.