Get ready for UPSHOT, a new women’s professional basketball league coming to Charlotte
Women’s professional basketball is coming back to Charlotte.
The Queen City will be home to one of four teams in the new UPSHOT League, which will begin play in May of 2026.
The upstart league will also have teams in Greensboro, Jacksonville, Florida; and Savannah, Georgia.
Charlotte hasn’t had professional women’s basketball since the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting folded in January 2007. The Sting was one of the original eight WNBA teams to start play in 1997.
The new Charlotte team will play in a league owned and operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, which runs mostly minor-league baseball and hockey teams, including the Charlotte Checkers. Members of the UPSHOT League investment group include women’s basketball greats Cheryl Miller and Ann Meyers Drysdale.
“We are beyond thrilled to be able to launch this league and provide another quality platform for women to continue being a part of the sport they love, whether it is a player on the court or a staff member in the front office,” said Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann.
The new Charlotte team will play a 40-game regular-season schedule, including 20 home games at Bojangles Coliseum. A name-the-team contest is live on Charlotte’s new website, theupshotcharlotte.com, and season ticket options start at $44 per seat.
“Charlotte has long been a city where sports thrive, boasting a rich tapestry of teams and events that cater to a diverse fan base and contribute to our vibrant sports culture,” Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Steve Bagwell said. “We are honored to host the UPSHOT League, where they will undoubtedly create new and exciting memories for our community.”
