The Guru Report: New Developmental Four-Team WBB Pro League Launches Later This Week Run by a Former WNBA President

Guru’s note without the By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru topper.

 A new pro WBB league is launching later this week. 

We’ll be doing our own story later this week but making you aware from my account (it’s free you should sign) off a story from Front Office Sports after last week’s presser and the roster release from yesterday.

Additional notes here: Jessica Bogia, in Jacksonville, one of the four city coaches, is local, worked with the AAU Belles, assisted on Memphis, among other places, in the American Conference while  Hall of Famer Taj McWilliams-Franklin played on the ABL Philly Rage besides in the WNBA.

Former  Saint Joseph’s star Chloe Welch is on one of the teams.

The league will have its own YouTube channel to watch games and will soon announce another carrier.

Baltimore and Nashville join next season.

There will be a 40-game schedule, 20 road, 20 home.

The media liason is Leslie Anne Wade, who spent a long stint running the media operation at CBS Sports.

Guru idea if seen by the right eyes - Perhaps during the run-up to the WNBA coming here in 2030, a team could launch for the summers of 2028 and 2029, and pending if a relationship with the WNBA develops can even become a G-League style affiliate of the 76ers-Philly team.

Here’s all the existing details off the Front Office story and the roster announcements.

New League Could Serve as WNBA’s Badly Needed G League

Upshot League commissioner Donna Orender told Front Office Sports she envisions the startup league eventually partnering with the WNBA.

BY COLIN SALAO

MAY 08, 2026 | 12:46 PM

SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS

Last season, several WNBA teams struggled to fill their rosters after they were depleted by injuries.

The Dallas Wings had 21 different players suit up, at one point receiving an “extreme hardship” contract due to their lack of personnel. The Indiana Fever were also granted a hardship exception after numerous players sustained season-ending injuries, prompting coaches to plead for additional roster spots.

The WNBA addressed the issue under the new CBA, adding two developmental spots per team and expanding roster sizes to 14. But the problem isn’t completely solved.

When injuries pile up or roster spots open midseason, teams have few readily available replacements because there is no domestic women’s basketball league running simultaneously with the WNBA season. 

In the past, teams would poach players playing overseas or hope someone who fits their needs is available somewhere in the U.S. In other sports, some professional leagues have developmental leagues that address this issue. In the NBA, most teams even have their own G League affiliate.

That gap is what The Upshot League says it wants to fill.

Launching May 15, Upshot is a new women’s basketball league led by commissioner Donna Orender, who served as WNBA president from 2005–2010. The league will run from May to September, the same time as the 2026 WNBA season.

Orender told Front Office Sports the idea for Upshot came after an unsuccessful bid for a WNBA expansion team in Jacksonville. (The WNBA chose markets that had already-existing NBA teams and arenas.) After discussions with WNBA executives and coaches, Orender says she felt that creating a league could solve the WNBA’s roster issues.

“There wasn’t enough jobs for the women who had this elite talent and passion to play in the WNBA,” Orender said. “And the WNBA also needed a place where they could go and find players much more easily.”

Upshot announced earlier this week that it had secured $40 million in funding from investors that include Hall-of-Famers Cheryl Miller and Tamika Catchings. Ex-WNBA players are also involved with the league, including VP of basketball operations Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a six-time WNBA All-Star. 

Orender said she informed the WNBA of Upshot since it was a “nascent idea,” and is hopeful the two leagues can be partners down the line.

“I think that they are very focused on all the right things right now to build their business. And we’re here looking forward to, you know, having those conversations and figure out the things we can do together,” Orender said.

The WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked directly whether the The UPSHOT League was a developmental league, Orender rephrased the label to “opportunity.”

“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 did not reveal the salaries of Upshot players. (In the previous CBA, another issue WNBA teams faced when trying to secure new players midseason was luring them with pro-rated minimum deals.) She said their contracts will be structured to allow them to leave midseason for the WNBA, if an opportunity arises.

In the WNBA, the new developmental players are paid about $6,000 per active game, the pro-rated minimum salary, for up to 12 games. A developmental player who plays all 12 games will receive about $73,000, more than the 2025 WNBA minimum salary. They will also receive a stipend of $750 per week, on top of the same benefits as standard players, including team housing.

The Upshot league will launch with four teams in Jacksonville, Savannah, Greensboro, and Charlotte. They’ve already announced two additional expansion teams for next year in Baltimore and Nashville, and she expects to announce more teams soon.

“We think we’ll have 12 teams in three years and overall, we anticipate building up a 30-market league,” Orender said. 

ROSTERS

UPSHOT League Announces Inaugural Team Rosters Ahead of Historic Opening Season 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The UPSHOT League Monday announced the official rosters for its four founding franchises — the Jacksonville WAVES, Savannah STEEL, Charlotte CROWN, and Greensboro GROOVE — featuring more than 40 athletes with WNBA, international, and elite NCAA experience. 

“The depth of talent across the league reflects a powerful moment for the women’s game,” said Donna Orender. “These athletes bring championship pedigrees, professionalism, and global experience to our inaugural season.” 

Across the league, rosters feature WNBA draft selections and training camp players, international professionals across multiple continents, NCAA Tournament veterans, conference champions, and standout performers from the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and other premier programs. 

 

 JACKSONVILLE WAVES 

Roster Snapshot 

Six players bring WNBA experience through draft selections, training camps, or professional affiliations, while eight have competed internationally across Europe and global leagues.

 The roster also includes NCAA Tournament veterans and multiple All-Conference honorees from major programs including Tennessee, Maryland, LSU, Alabama, and West Virginia. 

 

Roster 

Ariel Hearn (G, Memphis) 

Jasmine Walker (F, Alabama) 

Lindsey Pulliam (G, Northwestern)\ 

Brianna Turnage (F, Georgia Tech) 

Emma Von Essen (G, Hofstra) 

Khayla Pointer (G, LSU) 

Madison Griggs (G, Memphis) 

Shyanne Sellers (G, Maryland) 

Taylor Soule (G, Virginia Tech) 

Rennia Davis (G/F, Tennessee) 

Adut Bulgak (C, Florida State) 

 

 

SAVANNAH STEEL 

 

Roster Snapshot 

The STEEL feature athletes from nationally recognized programs including Louisville, Tennessee, Harvard, and SEC and ACC schools. 

Several players earned All-Conference recognition or led their teams statistically, while the roster emphasizes perimeter scoring, defensive intensity, and positional flexibility. 

 

 Roster

Iyana Moore, (G, Notre Dame)

Sydney Shaw, (G, West Virginia)

Megan McConnell, (G, Duquesne)

Zee Spearman, (F, Tennessee)

Harmoni Turner, (G, Harvard)

Lasha Petree, (G, Purdue)

Ariel Colón (G, FIU)

Lauryn Taylor, (G, FGCU)

Quanniecia “Que” Morrison, (G, Georgia)

Kharyssa Richardson, (F, Mississippi State)

Olivia Cochran, (F, Louisville)

 CHARLOTTE CROWN 

 

Roster Snapshot 

The Charlotte CROWN enter the inaugural UPSHOT League season with one of the most recognizable backcourts in the league, led by Asia “AD” Durr and Deja Kelly. 

The roster blends elite guard play, frontcourt size, and championship experience across multiple power conferences. 

Charlotte features multiple players with WNBA experience, training camp exposure, or professional affiliations. The roster includes athletes from the ACC, SEC, Big 12, and Pac-12, and is anchored by elite scoring guards, versatile forwards, and experienced interior presence. 

 

Roster 

Dazia Lawrence (G, Kentucky) 

Quinzia Fulmore (C, Elon) 

Reigan Richardson (G, Duke) 

E’lisia Grissett (F, South Carolina) 

Deja Kelly (PG, Oregon) 

Asia “AD” Durr (G, Louisville) 

Diamond McDowell (F, Anderson) 

Emer Nichols (C, Texas A&M) 

Jasmyne Roberts (G, Miami) 

Eboni Walker (F, Ohio State) 

Chloe Welch (G, Saint Joseph’s) 

 

 GREENSBORO GROOVE 

The Greensboro GROOVE open the season with a roster centered around elite guard play, championship pedigree, and frontcourt size. 

Led by Diamond Johnson and Christyn Williams, the group blends explosive scoring, defensive versatility, and high-level collegiate success.  

Greensboro features athletes from elite programs including UConn, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Colorado. Multiple players bring NCAA Tournament experience, All-Conference honors, and professional or international exposure, combining perimeter firepower with interior strength. 

 

Roster 

Diamond Johnson (PG, Norfolk State) 

Sonya Morris (G, Texas) 

Kamaria McDaniel (G, Michigan State) 

Jessica Timmons (G, Alabama) 

Christyn Williams (G, UConn) 

Sahara Jones (G/F, Texas A&M) 

Tayanna Jones Bell (G/F, Colorado) 

Mya Hollingshed (G/F, Colorado) 

Tai’Sheka Porchia (PF, Troy) 

Maria Gakdeng (F/C, North Carolina) 

Amiya Joyner (F, LSU) 

 

The UPSHOT League tips off its inaugural season on May 15, establishing a new platform for elite women’s basketball talent from across professional, international, and collegiate pathways.