Upshot League Expands to Providence With New Pro Women's Team

Professional women’s basketball is staying in New England for 2027 even as the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun head to Houston.

The Upshot League announced its eighth franchise in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The yet-to-be-named team will play its home games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. It stands as one of four new teams joining the developmental professional women’s basketball league that will tip-off in 2027.

Other new teams joining the league include teams based in Baltimore, Nashville, and Tampa. They join founding teams located in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment will operate the Providence franchise. An investor group led by board chair and managing partner Mark Walsh is backing the team.

“This region has a rich history of world-class basketball,” Walsh said in a statement. “Providence is a basketball city. This community knows great basketball. Women’s sports are having a moment that is here to stay, and we want to give young girls across Rhode Island and the region a team to call their own – professional athletes they can see, meet, and look up to right here at home.”

Fans can submit team name ideas at ProvidenceUpshot.com.

Donna Orender, the league’s initial commissioner whose term concluded on Aug. 31, established the Upshot League alongside Zawyer CEO Andy Kaufmann.

While the developmental circuit is not directly affiliated with the WNBA, organizers position the league to function similarly to the NBA’s G-League. A search for the next commissioner of the Upshot League is underway, with Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Taj McWilliams-Franklin serving as deputy commissioner.

“We see tremendous opportunity in the Rhode Island community with such a strong basketball presence and the potential to build meaningful connections with its fans,” McWilliams-Franklin said in a statement. “As we continue to expand into New England, bringing the Upshot League to Providence is another important step in creating opportunities for players, growing the game, and building a league that communities can take pride in.”

Upshot League Expands to Providence With New Pro Women's Team

The league successfully advanced players to the WNBA during its first season. The Indiana Fever added Michelle Onyiah to their roster, the Dallas Wings acquired Christyn Williams, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda put pen to paper with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Additional players secured WNBA contracts after the season concluded, while others pursued international opportunities. Deja Kelly earned the MVP title in the Upshot championship game before signing with a top-tier team in Greece and spending time with the Wings.

Prominent figures in women’s basketball have also invested in the league. Legends including Cheryl Miller, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Tamika Catchings, and Chamique Holdsclaw are among the investors in the league.

The second season for the Upshot League begins in May 2027.