UPSHOT League announces inaugural season championship

“We launched UPSHOT with the clear belief that everyone deserves a shot to be their best,” said Donna Orender, co-founder and commissioner of the UPSHOT League, a basketball league that launched this summer with four teams — Greensboro Groove, Charlotte Crown, Jacksonville Waves and Savannah Steel. “We believe that rising talent uplifts communities and that elite women’s basketball players deserve more opportunities.”

Taj McWilliams-Franklin, UPSHOT League’s vice president of basketball operations, noted that the players want opportunity. “Not only for the women that play, [but also] for our communities, for our coaches, for our partners, for ourselves to grow and get an opportunity to change the landscape of women’s professional sports,” said McWilliams-Franklin.

Seventy percent of the games this season have been decided by 10 points or less. “For our championship, that is going to be important,” said McWilliams-Franklin.

The regular season will wrap up on August 23. “We are now entering the most consequential part of our inaugural season,” said Orender. “Every possession matters. Every game matters. Every result can change the road to Jacksonville.”

The inaugural UPSHOT League championship will be played on August 29 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The championship game will feature the two teams that finished atop the league’s standings. While the Waves have a commanding hold on first place and the Crown seem settled in second, the Groove and the Steel still have a chance to secure the second spot.

Many of the league’s players will be on hand for championship weekend even if their team isn’t in the final game. There will be events, including basketball clinics, fan experiences and panel discussions about the current world of women’s sports. 

“The UPSHOT League MVP trophy will be named for the inimitable, great Ann Meyers Drysdale,” said Orender. The award, along with additional seasonal honors, will be presented during championship weekend.

Two players expressed their gratitude to UPSHOT. “[This league gives me the] opportunity to play back in the States so my family can come see me,” said Ariel Hearn, 32, who has also played with Athletes Unlimited. “[We’re] playing against great players with the goal of trying to get back to the W,” said Lindsey Pulliam, 27, who was drafted in 2021 by the Atlanta Dream.

In 2027, the league will expand to at least six teams with additional teams in Baltimore and Nashville.

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