Charlotte Crown: Women’s Pro Basketball Team Gets Identity

Professional women's basketball returns to the Queen City, as the Charlotte Crown starts play in the UpShot League come May 2026.

At Bojangles Coliseum, the team name and logo were announced, October 9, showing off its purple colors. New head coach Trisha Stafford-Odom was also announced.

"A crown right-side up? That’s royalty. A crown upside down? That’s evolution — a Royal Reversal. That’s the spirit of the women who don’t wait to be crowned — they earn it. These are the new royals. They break tradition and redefine dominance."

The Crown joins the new UpShot League with teams in Jacksonville, Savannah, and Greensboro. Players will use this league as a stepping stone to reach the WNBA. Two more cities might get teams by 2027.

"The UpShot League is a league truly made for this moment," said UpShot League commissioner Donna Orender during the announcement, per Axios.com.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, which runs the Checkers hockey and Ghost Peppers baseball teams, owns the Crown. CEO Andy Kaufmann stated each team needs millions in startup funds.

New head coach Stafford-Odom brings WNBA playing skills and coaching time at Duke, North Carolina Central, and UNC. "I recognize the honor and the responsibility to lead, inspire and empower by way of coaching up," she said, according to WCNC.

Charlotte hasn't had pro women's basketball since 2007, when the WNBA's Sting left town. Starting next spring, the Crown will play 17 home games at Bojangles Coliseum between May and August.

Plans are in motion for a new sports center. Zawyer wants to build an eight-court facility spanning 90,000 square feet. The $20 million project still needs a location and might get public funding help.

Fans can grab season tickets with a $44 deposit. Single games will cost $15 to start. More news about player signings and team uniforms will come out soon.