By Cameron Lee
January 30, 2025
Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group behind the Charlotte Checkers, has officially announced the establishment of the UpShot League, a professional women’s basketball league set to launch in May 2026 with teams in Charlotte, Greensboro (NC), Jacksonville (FL), and Savannah (GA).
The Upshot League is more than just a professional women’s basketball organization—it’s a mission-driven movement centered on opportunity. We are excited to announce the first team and our headquarters in Jacksonville, FL.
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Learn More | https://t.co/4iR6YwJIQN pic.twitter.com/gF6b2aLA7S— UpShot League (@upshotleague) January 27, 2025
The Charlotte and Greensboro franchises in the new UpShot League will be the first professional women’s basketball teams to play in the state since 2006, when the WNBA’s Sting last played at Charlotte Bobcats Arena (now Spectrum Center). The Sting were one of the WNBA’s original eight franchises, established in 1997, and even made it to the WNBA Finals in 2001, led by players like Dawn Staley, Andrea Stinson, and Allison Feaster.
Donna Orender, who will serve as the league’s commissioner, recalls when women’s basketball was a prominent part of the city’s sports culture.
“We’re all about development and excellence, and we know there’s a rich tradition of women’s basketball here in Charlotte. I was in the stands when the great Dawn Staley was playing here,” she said during the announcement press conference.
Orender, the former president of the WNBA from 2005 to 2010, an All-American basketball player at Queens College in New York, and a former player in the Women’s Pro Basketball League (WBL), is optimistic about the future of the sport.
The announcement of the new league builds on the remarkable momentum and growth of women’s basketball across the country, fueled by the popularity of players like Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins, and Flau’Jae Johnson, among many others.
“This is a special time, and I would say it’s about time,” Orender said during the press conference. “We are proud to add the UpShot League as a strategic enterprise that will serve the entire women’s basketball ecosystem, from youth to college to the pros and beyond. There is an immense amount of talent looking for a place to play, and we can now provide that place.”
The league’s investment group includes notable figures like Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former WNBA/NBA executive Ann Meyers Drysdale, former WBA boxing champion Seniesa Estrada, former University of Florida basketball player Patric Young, actress Annie Q., and video game designer Chris Robert.
The league’s inaugural season will feature a 40-game schedule, split between 20 home and away games. Charlotte’s home games will be hosted at Bojangles Coliseum, while the Greensboro team will play at Novant Health Fieldhouse, home of the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA G League franchise, the Greensboro Swarm.
As part of its community engagement efforts, the Charlotte and Greensboro franchises have launched “Name The Team” contests. Season ticket packages will be available starting at $44 per seat, symbolizing the 44 new player positions created by the league.
Learn more about the Charlotte and Greensboro UpShot League teams who will begin play in May 2026.
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