UpShot Nashville
| UpShot Nashville | |
|---|---|
| League | UpShot League |
| Founded | April 9, 2026 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| History | 2027– |
| Arena | Memorial Gymnasium |
| Capacity | 14,316 |
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
| President | Nancy VanReece |
| Ownership | Nashville UpShot, LLC. |
UpShot Nashville is a planned professional women’s basketball franchise based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team is an expansion member of the UpShot League, a developmental professional women's basketball league in the United States, and is expected to begin play in 2027.
History
The Nashville franchise was announced on April 9, 2026, as the sixth team in the UpShot League, marking the league's continued expansion beyond its initial markets in the Southeastern United States. Nashville joins Baltimore as the first two expansion teams for the league.[1]
At the team's introductory press conference, UpShot League Commissioner Donna Orender said, "Today is a celebration of Nashville as an already thriving world-known sports city. It is about more than women's professional basketball arriving in a new market, it's about women’s professional basketball being woven into the fabric of this city. The UpShot League and this great ownership are not simply launching a team here, together we are creating opportunity, and building a new home, as grateful and contributing members of this community."[2]
In a release, Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee said, "Initiatives like the Upshot League represent an important step toward building a broader sports ecosystem... This city has become one of the most dynamic sports cities in the country... Bringing a new professional women's basketball venture into this environment is not just exciting; it feels like the natural next step."[1]
Nashville attempted to secure a bid to join the WNBA with an expansion franchise led by former governor Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy. The team would have been called the ‘Tennessee Summitt’ in honor of former Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball coach Pat Summitt.[3]
Branding
The team's official name and branding are expected to be revealed in July 2026.[4]
Ownership and management
UpShot Nashville is owned and operated by Upshot Nashville, LLC. with Mark Walsh as managing partner.
Nancy VanReece, who served as a Metro Council member, will serve as the team's president and CEO.[1]
Arena
The team is scheduled to play its home games at Memorial Gymnasium, located on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Glennon, John (9 April 2026). "Nashville selected for Upshot women's basketball league". NashvillePost.com. Nashville Post. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Broderick, Kelly (9 April 2026). "Professional women's developmental basketball is coming to Music City". NewsChannel5.com. Scripps Media, Inc. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Shames, Jacob (10 April 2026). "What to know about Nashville's women's pro basketball expansion team in UpShot league". Tennessean.com. The Tennessean. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ Perez, Sam (9 April 2026). "Nashville getting its own professional women's basketball team". WBIR.com. WBIR. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
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