The Houston Comets’ new logos just leaked, and they’re absolute heat

Cynthia Cooper #14 of the Houston Comets yells in celebration on the court after winning game three of the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas on 5 Sep 1999. (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

The WNBA season is nearly done, which means that the Connecticut Sun are soon moving to Houston to resurrect the Comets, the city’s once-defunct WNBA team. But ahead of an official unveiling of the team’s logos on Thursday, trademark filings have given fans a sneak peek at the new-look Comets’ branding.

On Wednesday, the WNBA filedeight trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which contain four designs for two uses: one for broadcasting and entertainment, and another for clothes and other merchandise. The filings were first reported by trademark law expert Josh Gerben on his blog, as well Front Office Sports.

The first logo shows a slanted letter "H" with a basketball forming the bar in the middle of the letter, with a comet tail coming off the basketball. The "H" is filled in with stars. That "H" is also used in a circle logo in which the words "Houston Comets" curve around it. Two other logos are simple word marks reading "HOUSTON" and "COMETS," with the basketball comet and stars motif.

New logos for the Houston Comets, unveiled in filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. (USPTO )

According to Gerben, the applications were filed on an "intent-to-use" basis, which under trademark law allows companies to get federal trademark protections before actually using the logos and branding on uniforms, merchandise and advertisements.

"The process is particularly valuable for professional sports franchises preparing to announce new logos," Gerben wrote. "By filing applications before publicly revealing its logos, the Comets can ensure no squatters file applications after the announcement and create a legal headache for the team."

That’s particularly notable for the Comets, given that the team is already in a trademark dispute over the Comets name. The Houston Comets’ trademark for the name expired after the team folded in 2008, and a company called TSTM Holdings applied to use the Comets name in 2024. The WNBA did not do the same until 2025. Chron previously reported that Houston rapper Travis Scott was linked to TSTM Holdings through a lawyer who has worked with Scott and his companies. A source involved in talks to bring the Comets back to Houston told Chron in April that Scott was indeed linked to TSTM Holdings.

The team is currently allowed to use the team name because the USPTO has not granted either the team or TSTM Holdings exclusive rights. A decision isn’t expected for months, and Gerben told Front Office Sports that he expects the dispute will end in a settlement.

"They may have to come up with some numbers to buy out the rights that this other side might have gotten, but they also have a strong enough legal case that it may not be worth it for this other entity to pursue any legal action," Gerben told FOS. "A lot of times that doesn’t make sense if there’s a reasonable settlement offer on the table."

Diehard Comets fans will be thrilled to see this new logo, as it’s a modernization of the team’s classic alternative "H" logo that, while not as iconic as the original "COMETS" wordmark, still adorned hats, jerseys and other merchandise. That logo similarly featured a large letter "H," with the logo filled in with stars and comets and a large basketball with a comet trail wrapping through the letter. The logos uploaded to the UPTO website do not contain colors, though the Comets have already used their classic dark blue and red branding in advertisements.

The Houston Comets original alternate logo, which bears resemblance to the new logos unveiled Thursday. (SportsLogos.Net )

The Houston Comets are expected to reveal their logos and branding officially at a party at POST Houston Downtown on Thursday, with KHOU 11 meteorologist Chita Craft hosting. The logo unveiling will be streamed on KHOU 11, the team’s official media partner. KHOU 11 announced last week that Comets games will be free to watch over the air next season. The party comes as the team ramps up its advertising ahead of the 2027 WNBA season, when the team will begin play. The Comets have placed billboards announcing "SHE’S BACK" across the Houston area and have hosted numerous events for fans and season ticket holders.

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