The Upshot League Is Here
The women's basketball landscape just got bigger. The Upshot League tips off its inaugural season on May 15, 2026 and if you care about where the sport is headed, this is a league you need to pay attention to.
Founded by Commissioner Donna Orender, who previously served as WNBA President, the Upshot League was built with one clear purpose: create professional pathways for elite women's basketball players who don't have them right now. Not everyone can go overseas. Not everyone catches on with a WNBA roster in a league still operating on 11 player caps. The Upshot exists for exactly that gap.
Backed by $40 million in investment and with basketball legends Tamika Catchings, Cheryl Miller, and Ann Meyers Drysdale signed on as advisors and investors, this isn't a vanity project. The league runs concurrently with the WNBA season so players cut before opening night don't have to book a flight to Europe to keep playing. Orender's vision: 12 teams in three years and a 30 market league long term. The foundation starts now.
Four Teams, Real Talent
The league launches with four Southeast based franchises. Here are the official rosters:
The Deja & Harmoni Story
The rosters are a mix of WNBA veterans, international professionals, and recent college standouts. Worth noting: Deja Kelly (Charlotte Crown) and Harmoni Turner (Savannah Steel) both had recent Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun training camp stints before being waived a reminder that roster limits, not talent, keep too many elite players off WNBA floors. The Upshot gives them a stage.
How the League Works
The Upshot plays professional rules with a few notable wrinkles designed to keep the game fast and open.
GAME FORMAT Four 10 minute quarters with 5 minute overtime periods if needed.
ROSTERS 11 active players per team.
FOULS Players foul out on their 6th personal foul or after two technicals or flagrant fouls.
THE D3 RULE Defenders cannot remain in the lane for more than three seconds unless actively guarding a player within arm's length a tweak designed to open up the floor and keep the game moving.
Mission & Leadership
The league's community first model is built to give women a domestic professional option year round, running simultaneously with the WNBA calendar. VP of Basketball Operations is Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a six time WNBA All-Star, and the league has already announced expansion teams in Baltimore and Nashville set to join in 2027.
How to Watch
Opening Night: Friday, May 15 — LIVE on YouTube
Jacksonville Waves vs. Charlotte Crown — 7 PM ET @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Savannah Steel vs. Greensboro Groove — 7 PM ET @ Novant Health Fieldhouse
Follow the league: upshotleague.com | Tickets: wavesupshot.com
The women's game has been asking for this. We'll see you Friday.