UPSHOT League · 2026 season coverage
Charlotte Crown
The Charlotte Mercury covers the Charlotte Crown, the city's first professional women's basketball team since 2007, a founding franchise of the UPSHOT League, and the winner of the league's first championship. The games, the players, and the return of pro women's hoops to the Queen City.
- League
- UPSHOT League
- 2026
- Champions · 23-11 · MVP Deja Kelly
- Head Coach
- Trisha Stafford-Odom
- Arena
- Bojangles Coliseum
Latest coverage
Latest Charlotte Crown reporting
5 linked stories
Lead report
Charlotte Has a Championship. The Crown Started the Season 1-5.
The Charlotte Crown lost five of their first six games this year, then won the first championship in UPSHOT League history. Charlotte beat the Jacksonville Waves 81-76 on Saturday night, erasing a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit on the road. Deja Kelly scored a game-best 29 and was named Championship MVP.
Aug 30, 2026
The Crown Are One Game From the First Championship in UPSHOT League History
Aug 28, 2026
Charlotte Is Playing for a Championship on August 29: The Crown Clinched It Wednesday
Aug 7, 2026
The Crown Hang 105 on First Place: Seven Straight Wins and a League Record
Aug 3, 2026
There's a Pro Basketball Team Winning in Charlotte Right Now. Meet the Crown.
Jul 21, 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026
What we cover
Games, roster construction and accountable decisions.
Why it matters
Professional sports are also civic, business and public-accountability stories.