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Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings has put her support behind the UPSHOT league, a professional women’s basketball league that also counts Cheryl Miller and Ann Meyers Drysdale among its supporters. The league is set to begin play in May 2026.
I’m so excited to join the UPSHOT League alongside Cheryl and Ann, two of the most influential people in our sport,” Catchings told reporters. “There are so many talented players and I’m proud to be a part of the effort to create new opportunities for them. I can’t wait to officially kick off the season in May.”
The UPSHOT League will begin play in May
UPSHOT was founded by Andy Kaufmann, CEO, Zawyer of Zawyer Sports and Donna Orender, who also serves as Commissioner of the league (and was previously president of the WNBA). While the league could potentially compete with the WNBA if it grows in size, right now the goal is to simply provide professional opportunities to players who may not be drafted into the W, or who aren’t playing overseas during the summer.
The league will begin its first season with four teams in Charlotte, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Greensboro.
UPSHOT has the potential to benefit NCAA players straight out of college the most, and possibly players who went undrafted in 2025, or who were drafted and then released. It’s believed the league will sign 44 players, which gives each team a roster of 11 athletes. That’s 44 more spots that will be available to athletes who deserve their shot at a homegrown professional league.
Project B is another alternative pro women’s league
UPSHOT isn’t the only newcomer on the block. Though there hasn’t been much new information about it since late 2025, Project B is another professional women’s basketball league that is supposed to begin games in 2027. Unlike UPSHOT, Project B’s organizers have shared that the league will be played internationally in several countries.
Project B announced that several WNBA players had signed presumably lucrative contracts in 2025, but little has been shared since then about when exactly games will begin, how many players are signed to deals, and how many players from the league will actually be in games. The athletes who have reportedly signed with Project B include WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, and Phoenix Mercury superstar Alyssa Thomas.
In addition to Candace Parker, Steve Young, Novak Djokovic, and Sloane Stephens, LeBron James reportedly has an advisory role in the league. It is also receiving funding from Sela, a company based in Saudi Arabia.
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