“Every queen deserves a crown,” and the Queen City just got hers.
In 2024, the Queen City debuted a new women’s professional soccer team. One year later, the Upshot League and Zawyer Sports & Entertainment — the group that owns the Charlotte Checkers and Gastonia Ghost Peppers, among other teams — officially announced the Charlotte Crown will hit the court as the city’s newest professional women’s basketball team in May 2026.
The Crown will represent the Queen City in the new Upshot League, along with teams from Savannah, GA; Jacksonville, FL; and Greenville, NC.
“Prepare for an exciting and winning style of basketball where intensity and intelligence dominate,” Head Coach and former WNBA star Trisha Stafford-Odom told CLTtoday. “I’m preparing for our royal and divine basketball team to become one of the most uplifting and impactful cities in all of pro sports.”
The 34-game season will run mid-May through mid-August, and the team will be comprised of post-collegiate athletes, including several WNBA-first-round draft picks who don’t sign with the pro league.
“I want our work to be fun,” added Stafford-Odom. “I want our work to reach out and make people feel relaxed when they come watch us play really, really good basketball.”
Of course, OG Charlotteans remember the Sting, our WNBA team that ended after nearly 10 years. But Andy Kaufman, CEO of Zawyer Sports, affirmed this team is not going anywhere.
“It’s an eight-figure investment and we’re fully funded. So, this is Charlotte’s team,” Kaufmann told CLTtoday.
Ya’ll ready for this? Season tickets will soon be on sale, starting at $44 for the first season. Plus, keep an eye on CLTtoday. Once the season schedule, jersey reveal, mascot introduction, and tryouts tip off, we’ll keep you posted, starting in November.
