Upshot League is bringing professional women's basketball team back to Charlotte for the first time since its WNBA team departed in 2006, as the Charlotte Crown fell to the Jacksonville Waves in Thursday's sold-out home opener.
Debuting this month, the new development league serves as a stepping stone for players aspiring to reach the WNBA. Former UNC star Deja Kelly led the home opener with 17 points and five assists, while Reigan Richardson added 17 points and three rebounds.
Three-time First-Team All-ACC selection Kelly headlines the Crown lineup. She's joined by second-overall 2019 WNBA Draft pick Asia Durr and NCAA champion with South Carolina LeLe Grissett. 2021 McDonald’s All-American and Charlotte native Reigan Richardson arrives after a successful college career at Georgia and Duke.
Former WNBA star Trisha Stafford-Odom helms the team, backed by years spent playing with both the Houston Comets and Miami Sol before moving on to coach at the NCAA level.
Dating to the league's 1997 inception, the original Charlotte WNBA team — the Sting — folded in 2006. The Sting went on to draft future South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in the first round of the 1999 WNBA Draft, but never won a league title despite several deep postseason runs.
The Crown aims to meet growing professional women's basketball demand while building a new legacy in North Carolina.
