The WNBA has no shortage of talented players right now. If anything, the problem is actually the opposite. There are more players capable of competing at the professional level than there are roster spots available. And once injuries start piling up during the season, teams often find themselves scrambling for replacements with very few reliable options available domestically.

Former WNBA president Donna Orender thinks a new league can help change that. According to her, the newly launched Upshot League, which begins play this month, is designed to serve as an “opportunity league.” That is, it’s designed to give players another platform to compete while also potentially helping the WNBA strengthen its talent pipeline and in-season roster depth. “We call ourselves an opportunity league,” Orender said. “I don’t care what level you’re at, be it the best player in the WNBA, you’re still going to want to develop. So we see ourselves as a place of opportunity.”

Orender, who serves as Co-Founder and Commissioner of the Upshot League, envisions it functioning as the WNBA’s equivalent of the NBA’s G League. For her, it will be a domestic solution to the chronic roster shortage that has long plagued the league. It will also be a platform for elite talent that would otherwise have no choice but to seek opportunities overseas. She has already made the WNBA aware of Upshot’s plans. She has also expressed hope that the two leagues can eventually enter into a formal partnership.

The league was even structured with that collaboration in mind. According to Orender, players under Upshot contracts will get permissions to leave mid-season if WNBA opportunities become available. For players on the fringe of WNBA rosters, that flexibility could make Upshot a genuinely attractive option.

According to Orender, the idea for Upshot itself after a failed talk with WNBA commisioner Cathy Engelbert for a WNBA expansion franchise in Jacksonville. But rather than walk away from women’s basketball entirely, she chose to build something new. The Upshot league, headquartered in Jacksonville, is now ready to tip off with four teams on May 15. And it already features some recognizable WNBA names like former WNBA player Asia Durr and 2021 WNBA Draft picks Jasmine Walker and Lindsay Pulliam.

Currently, the league still has four teams, based in Jacksonville, Savannah, Greensboro, and Charlotte. But this is only the beginning. According to Orender, plans are already underway to add franchises in Baltimore and Nashville as soon as next year. And there will at least have a total of 12 teams in three years. “We think we’ll have 12 teams in three years and overall, we anticipate building up a 30-market league,” she said.

Whether the Upshot will fully succeed or not remains to be seen. But right now, the issues it claims to solve for the WNBA are quite real. And they are positioning themself as part of the solution. Perhaps, if the WNBA eventually embraces that partnership, the sport as a whole could be better for it.

How Will The Upshot League Run This Season

The Upshot League officially tips off on May 15 and will run simultaneously with the 2026 WNBA season. In terms of structure, the four participating teams, the Jacksonville Waves, Charlotte Crown, Greensboro Groove, and Savannah Steel, will compete in a 34-game regular season schedule consisting of 17 home games and 17 away games. Everything will then conclude in September when the postseason begins.

Ahead of the May 15 tip-off, each of the four teams contain 11 players. That makes up a total of 44 players across the league. Although league commissioner Donna Orender has not yet revealed the salary structure for players, the league recently announced that it had raised $40 million in funding. The espectation is that money will to go a long way toward financing the league and supporting operations during its inaugural season.

To watch league games, fans can simply tune in through the official Upshot League YouTube channel, where there will be a livestream of all games. For the opening game, the Jacksonville Waves will host the Charlotte Crown on May 15 at 7 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

Apart from Donna Orender, quite a number of major basketball figures are also part of the league. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the former WNBA champion and six-time All-Star, serves as the Vice President of Basketball Operations. Tamika Catchings, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and Indiana Fever legend, has also joined as an advisor and investor. There are even other names like Shaquille O’Neal, who through his brand Dunkman, provides the official gear and uniforms for all league teams.

For the most part, the Upshot League appears to be an excellent initiative. But do you think Cathy Engelbert should have the WNBA partner with it? Also, do you think it is one initiative that will ultimately succeed?