New Houston Comets logos have appeared in federal trademark applications ahead of the team’s anticipated branding announcement. The designs offer an early look at the identity Houston will carry when the franchise returns in 2027.
WNBA Enterprises filed eight applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Oct. 28. The applications cover four designs intended for merchandise, entertainment and broadcast services.
Houston Comets Logos Blend Basketball and Space Themes
The proposed primary logo features a large letter “H.” A basketball shaped like a speeding comet crosses the front of the letter.
A second design surrounds that emblem with a circular border and the team’s full name. The filings also include separate “Houston” and “Comets” wordmarks.
Both wordmarks use the basketball-comet image inside the letter “O.” The marks create a consistent visual theme across uniforms, merchandise and digital platforms.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben first reported the filings. Gerben identified all eight applications as intent-to-use filings, which protect marks before their commercial launch.
Four Designs Covered by Eight Applications
Each design received two trademark applications. One application covers entertainment and broadcast services, while the other covers clothing and merchandise.
The filings include two versions each of the “H,” circular, “Houston” and “Comets” marks. Filing trademarks before an unveiling can establish an earlier federal priority date.
However, a trademark application does not guarantee registration. The USPTO must examine each filing and determine whether it conflicts with an existing mark.
The applications provide the clearest view yet of the returning franchise’s planned identity. The team had teased an Oct. 29 branding reveal before the designs surfaced publicly.
Trademark Dispute Remains Pending
The new filings arrive while the WNBA remains involved in a separate dispute over the “Houston Comets” name.
TSTM Holdings, LLC applied to register the name in May 2024. WNBA Enterprises filed its own applications in February 2025 and challenged the company’s claim.
The USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board lists that opposition as pending. The case does not currently prevent the WNBA franchise from using the Comets name.
The league argues that its earlier use of the name established prior rights. The original Comets began playing in 1997, more than two decades before the competing application.
Comets Return to Houston in 2027
The new branding will introduce the next era of one of Houston’s most successful sports franchises.
The original Comets were among the WNBA’s first eight teams. Led by Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, Houston won the league’s first four championships from 1997 through 2000.
The franchise ceased operations after the 2008 season. Its history and records will carry into the new organization, according to the Comets.
The WNBA and NBA approved the sale and relocation of the Connecticut Sun in May. Fertitta Entertainment will own and operate the team after its move to Houston.
The Comets will begin playing at Toyota Center during the 2027 WNBA season. The arena is also receiving updated practice, training, medical and locker room facilities.
For Houston basketball fans, the logo filings mark another visible step toward opening night. Official branding, uniforms and merchandise will help reconnect a historic team with a new generation of supporters.