Pro women's basketball is officially coming back to Cleveland.

State of play: Cleveland has been awarded the 16th WNBA franchise and will begin play in 2028, the league announced Monday.

• The team will be owned and operated by Dan Gilbert's Rock Entertainment Group and play its home games at Rocket Arena.

The intrigue: The announcement did not specify if the franchise will revive the "Rockers" name, though that is the assumption of some local fans like Mayor Justin Bibb.

Catch up quick: The Rockers were one of the WNBA's original eight teams, playing from 1997 to 2003. Owner Gordon Gund folded the franchise after declining attendance and mounting financial losses.

What they're saying: "The WNBA's return to Cleveland marks a pivotal moment for women's sports," Gilbert said in a press release.

• "We're confident that this team will honor our city's enthusiastic support of women's sports, reinvigorate our WNBA fanbase, and help cultivate the next generation of women's basketball enthusiasts and athletes."

Between the lines: The Cavaliers are currently constructing a training facility co-branded with Cleveland Clinic on the Cuyahoga riverfront.

• The Cavs will move their team operations there while the WNBA team will adopt the Cleveland Clinic Courts — the Cavs' current training facility in suburban Independence.

Zoom out: Surging interest in the WNBA has given league commissioner Cathy Engelbert confidence to pursue rapid expansion.

• The league will grow to 18 teams by 2030, with Cleveland joining new clubs in Golden State (2025), Toronto (2026), Portland (2026), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030).

Would a Rocker by any other name go as hard?

State of play: Rock Entertainment Group CEO Nic Barlage said in a press conference yesterday he believes there is "existing equity" in the Rockers brand but that all options are on the table for a new team name.

• He promised a "thoughtful, inclusive" community process for the nickname's selection.

Zoom out: Cleveland, Detroit and Portland are all cities with former WNBA franchises that have been selected for expansion teams.

• In Portland, fans appear to have mixed feelings about reviving the name of its original WNBA franchise, the "Fire."

🤔 What do you think? Should Cleveland stick with the Rockers or rebrand for a new era?

💭 Sam's thought bubble: Rockers all the way. Don't think too hard about it.

📨 A 2021 crackdown on drug smuggling in the mail at Ohio's prisons has delayed or prevented basic legal documents from reaching incarcerated people.

• Legal records can take months to arrive and public court records can be denied for delivery if they exceed five pages. (The Marshall Project)

☕️ A new Yemeni coffee shop opened in May on Public Square. (Cleveland.com)

🛒 Costco, the popular wholesale chain with locations in Avon, Strongsville and Mayfield Heights, launched new exclusive hours for executive members yesterday. (Axios)

🏀 The NBA's free agency period began last night. The Cavs quickly established their roster priorities by trading Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for point guard Lonzo Ball and re-signing Sam Merrill to a four-year contract. (ESPN)

Whether it's date night, something for the kiddos or a cool way to enjoy a classic, it is officially outdoor cinema season.

Why it matters: Northeast Ohio's big heat wave is behind us, giving residents a chance to enjoy summer weather and the blockbuster movies that come with it.

• That includes "Superman," filmed in Cleveland and arriving at local drive-ins on July 11.

State of play: For the 21-and-up crowd, there's Social Cinema — monthly screenings atop the Great Lakes Science Center's parking garage with a DJ, bar and food trucks. Tickets start at $11.

• The series, which typically sells out, continues with "Superbad" (July 24), "Remember the Titans" (Aug. 28), "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (Sept. 18) and "Scream" (Oct. 3).

For the families: Several suburbs offer free movie nights, including Crocker Park in Westlake at sundown every Thursday through Aug. 28.

• Towns like Berea, Lakewood, Strongsville, Beachwood, North Royalton and Solon also host free outdoor movie nights.

Flashback: Outdoor cinema has been a Northeast Ohio tradition since the 1930s, when Cleveland's first drive-in movie theater opened on Northfield Road.

• A number of others opened soon after, several of which are still open — including Aut-O-Rama in North Ridgeville, Magic City in Barberton and Midway in Ravenna.

Go deeper: 8 Northeast Ohio drive-in theaters to check out

Going outdoors isn't the only alternative to a traditional movie theater.

What we're hearing: Project requests for home theater installations soared 562% nationwide in 2024, Yelp reports, as homeowners splurge on features that rival their local cinema.

• Paying to sit in a musty theater isn't as appealing to some as staying home, where amenities and snacks can be customized to personal preferences.

The intrigue: "We're seeing growing interest in everything from full-scale theater renovations" to budget-friendly additions like blackout curtains, Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis tells Axios.

• Super-hosts can bring in pros to build custom snack stations, install the latest sound systems or curate plush decor.

Zoom in: Several Northeast Ohio companies offer home theater installation services, including Sound & Vision, Xtend Technologies and K+ Integration and Audio.

By the numbers: E-commerce website Projector Screen estimates the average cost of a home theater to be between $10,000 and $50,000, with the most common price being around $17,000.

Go deeper: More people are going to movie theaters — in their homes