When the Women’s Premier Soccer League Pro kicks off its 2028 season, Cleveland will be at the forefront.
The name on the front of the jerseys will be Cleveland Astra.
Cleveland Pro Soccer Group on Monday announced the name and badge for its WPSL Pro team, which will provide more opportunity to play at a professional level to the more than 35,000 elite women's soccer players in the U.S., said Gina Prodan Kelly, the team's co-founder and chief marketing officer.
The name Astra, which is Latin for "stars," reflects Cleveland Pro Soccer's mission to be the region's "North Star" of soccer. It also celebrates Northeast Ohio as a place where stars are made, Prodan Kelly said.
Months of discussion and fan input generated ideas of paying homage to Cleveland's grit and resilience, but one person's perspective help shift the approach to a new foundation for the name.
"One woman said, 'I'm so tired of being resilient. And I just want to have what I need to to fly,'" Prodan Kelly recalled. "That gave us kind of a sense of, OK, we need to start looking up."
Prodan Kelly said her team began ruminating on concepts related to elevation and growth, which eventually led to astra. She noted that the name is much more symbolic than its literal translation.
"We loved the idea using a Latin word because it reflects the nature of the global game. Latin is the foundation of romance languages," Prodan Kelly explained. "... The root of many words related to stars and shining brightly, but wasn't just in English, reflected what we wanted this to stand for — that it's not just some exclusive club, that we want this to be arms wide open, welcoming people in."
Team colors are shades of violet purple, midnight blue and gold, inspired by nebulas, Lake Erie at night and Cleveland architecture.
The team's crest features Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation known for guiding navigators to Polaris, or the North Star. The design includes an outline of Ohio in the background, on which Cleveland is marked by a compass rose star.
"She symbolizes a team built to love and protect its own, to fiercely hold its ground, and to keep guiding us toward our bright future," the team said in a news release issued Monday.
Cleveland Astra will be Northeast Ohio's first women's professional soccer team, according to Cleveland Pro Soccer. It's part of the sport's evident growth, regionally and nationally.
Last month, Columbus announced its addition of a National Women's Soccer League team, also set to start in 2028, marking the NWSL's 18th club. A team name and branding has not been released. Cleveland submitted a bid for an NWSL team in 2024, but was passed over for Denver.
WPSL Pro is a new tier of women's professional soccer in the U.S., below the NWSL. Not to be confused with the WPSL, which began in 1998 and features more than 200 amateur teams nationwide, WPSL Pro will be the professional extension of the league.
Overall, women's sports have seen historic popularity, with viewership numbers reaching record highs this year, according to Forbes.
Prodan Kelly said one of Cleveland Pro Soccer's goals is to help establish a pipeline of Northeast Ohio athletes to its pro teams — and to national teams. She said 13 of the nation's top 25 Division I collegiate women's soccer programs had a player from Northeast Ohio on the roster last year. Cleveland Astra will provide local talent — both players and coaches — with an option to stay, rather than explore professional opportunities in other states, or across the pond.
"Being able to keep them here and inspire the next generation, it will keep the sport growing and the level of talent growing," Prodan Kelly said. "We have yet to have a U.S. Women's National Senior Team member out of Northeast Ohio. We're getting closer all the time."
Monday's team name announcement marked the second in as many months for Cleveland Pro Soccer. The group announced the name of its men's MLS NEXT Pro team — Forest City Cleveland — in March. That team will hit the pitch in 2027.
Next, the group has its sights set on stadium plans. It owns a site in the Gateway District near Progressive Field in Downtown Cleveland, where it envisions a new stadium for its pro teams and new life for area businesses and fans. Prodan Kelly said Cleveland Pro Soccer is currently studying other stadiums and considering sizes and designs before signing off on any blueprints or breaking ground.
"We don't feel like there's a greater place in Northeast Ohio to play, not only with our other sports teams, but what's going on now in Gateway and along the riverfront," Prodan Kelly said. "It's undeniable that there's a lot of energy there."
