JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new women’s professional basketball league is set to make its debut next year will be led by local resident Donna Orender and have a team in Jacksonville.
The creation of the UPSHOT league was announced Monday afternoon at the Igloo, with a minimum of four teams set to begin play in the league in May 2026. Orender, a local resident, knows the landscape of sports well and gives this entity some legitimate muscle as its commissioner.
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The UPSHOT league will be based in Jacksonville and be operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Icemen, among other hockey teams. The season will include 40 games (20 home, 20 away).
“We are beyond thrilled to be able to launch this league and provide another quality platform for women to continue being a part of the sport they love whether it is a player on the court or a staff member in the front office,” Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann said in a statement. “We are also grateful to be able to share this vision with several prominent and passionate individuals in our ownership group that left their own footprints in the field of athletics and entertainment.”
Orender spent 17 years in the PGA Tour and worked her way up to senior vice president of strategic development in the office of the commissioner. After that, Orender was the president of the WNBA from 2005-10. According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, Orender was part of an investment group looking at the prospect of trying to bring a WNBA franchise to Jacksonville late last year.
“This is a special time, and I would say it’s about time,” Orender said in a release. “We are proud to add UPSHOT, a strategic enterprise that will serve the entire women’s basketball ecosphere, from youth to college to the pros and beyond. There is an immense amount of talent looking for a place to play, we can now provide that place. I love this game and what women sports can and does do for women and girls, as well as men and boys is important for all of us. Building talent, providing educational opportunities and creating strong community entertainment and educational assets for our cities is a dream come true!”