CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The purple glow sticks lit up the arena before tipoff Thursday night as fans wearing paper crowns filled the stands for the Charlotte Crown’s historic home opener against the Jacksonville Waves. Outside the arena, families gathered around inflatable games, face painting stations, balloons, and photo areas decorated for the inaugural UPSHOT League season.
By the time the game began, the energy inside the building was impossible to ignore.
It had been nearly 20 years since Charlotte last had professional women’s basketball. On Thursday night, the Queen City made it clear it had been waiting for its return.
A sold out crowd packed the arena as the Crown defeated Jacksonville 103-95 to secure the franchise’s first home victory in league history. From the opening minutes to the final buzzer, the atmosphere felt more like a celebration than simply a basketball game.
Fans screamed as the team’s mascot sprinted across the court in a purple tutu, dancing and throwing shirts into the crowd between timeouts. Music blasted through the speakers while smiles stretched across faces throughout the arena. Every possession seemed to carry extra meaning for a city reconnecting with women’s professional basketball.
Head coach Sam Hyman said even before the game started, she could already envision the excitement surrounding the moment.
“All I can think about right now is how many fans are going to be here, desperate fans, just yearning for basketball to be back here in the Queen City,” Hyman said before tipoff.
“I am envisioning how packed it is going to be, how much excitement everyone is going to go through and how lit it is going to be.”
The excitement became reality almost immediately.
The first basket in Charlotte Crown home history came from Reigan Richardson, sending the crowd into a roar that shook the arena. Fans waved purple glow sticks in the air while chants echoed from section to section.
Then came one of the loudest moments of the night.
Former UNC standout Deja Kelly electrified the crowd with a quick crossover move that left a Jacksonville defender stumbling to the floor. The arena erupted instantly as fans jumped from their seats reacting to the ankle-breaking play.
Kelly later reflected on the meaning of the UPSHOT League opportunity, acknowledging every player arrives with different motivations and dreams.
“Everyone has different goals and reasons for playing UPSHOT,” Kelly said.
For many players and coaches, the league represents another chance to continue careers while helping grow the women’s game in cities hungry for basketball.
Hyman said accepting the opportunity to lead Charlotte felt like discovering her purpose. She described the Crown with words like excitement, fortitude, resilience, and talent — qualities that were fully displayed throughout Thursday’s opener.
As the final seconds ticked away in the 103-95 victory, Crown players celebrated together by performing their signature “crowning” gesture on their heads while fans stood cheering around them.
The moment symbolized more than a single win.
Thursday night represented a new beginning for women’s professional basketball in Charlotte. In a city deeply connected to the sport, the Crown’s inaugural home opener proved the passion for the women’s game never disappeared.
It simply waited for its crown to return.
