Another professional sports team is coming to North Carolina, and this time it’s women’s basketball.


What You Need To Know

  •  A professional women's basketball team is coming to the City of Greensboro

  •  The UPSHOT League is set to debut in May 2026

  •  Greensboro is one of the four inaugural cities that is getting a UPSHOT League team

The City of Greensboro will be one of the sites of a new professional women’s basketball association called UPSHOT League.

The UPSHOT League is operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, the owners of the Charlotte Checkers and Greensboro Gargoyles professional hockey teams.

The UPSHOT league will be headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and will have four inaugural teams. Jacksonville and Savannah, Georgia are two of the cities joining Greensboro in professional women’s basketball in 2026.

“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,”  Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann said.“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,”  Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann said.

The UPSHOT League players will play a 40-game regular season with 20 games at home and 20 games away. Players on each team will wear special throwback jerseys throughout the season to pay tribute to female basketball legends who have paved the way for women’s sports.

Former professional women’s basketball player Donna Orender will serve as the UPSHOT League’s commissioner and bring first-hand experiences to the association.

“We are proud to add UPSHOT, a strategic enterprise that will serve the entire women’s basketball ecosphere, from youth to college to the pros and beyond,” Orender said. “I love this game and what women sports can and does do for women and girls, as well as men and boys is important for all of us.”

The new UPSHOT League will join the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Greensboro Swarm and Greensboro Gargoyles as the newest professional team in the City of Greensboro.