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The WNBA currently enjoys an abundance of skilled players, but that depth has created a paradox: more athletes are capable of playing professionally than there are roster spots available. As injuries pile up during the season, teams often scramble for reliable domestic replacements with few options left in the talent pool.
Donna Orender, a former WNBA president, believes a new league could address this gap. She describes the recently launched Upshot League, which tips off this month, as an “opportunity league” designed to give players another platform to compete and, in turn, help the WNBA strengthen its talent pipeline and in-season 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. She views it as a domestic solution to the chronic roster shortage that has long plagued the league, providing a home for elite talent who otherwise would have to seek opportunities overseas. Orender has already informed the WNBA about Upshot’s plans and expressed hope that the two leagues can eventually form a formal partnership.
The league was structured with that collaboration in mind. According to Orender, players under Upshot contracts will be permitted to leave mid-season if a WNBA opportunity arises. For players on the fringe of WNBA rosters, that flexibility makes Upshot a compelling option.
Orender said the idea for Upshot emerged after her talks with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert about a possible expansion franchise in Jacksonville fell through. Instead of walking away from women’s basketball, she chose to build something new. The Upshot League, headquartered in Jacksonville, is now ready to tip off with four teams on May 15. It already includes some recognizable WNBA names, such as former player Asia Durr and 2021 WNBA draft picks Jasmine Walker and Lindsay Pulliam.
Currently, the league has four teams based in Jacksonville, Savannah, Greensboro, and Charlotte. But Orender said plans are already underway to add franchises in Baltimore and Nashville as soon as next year, aiming for at least 12 teams within 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 League will fully succeed remains to be seen, but it aims to address the very issues it claims to solve.