Hornets owners want to help bring WNBA team back to Charlotte
A bid has been submitted to bring a WNBA team back to Charlotte.
Why it matters: Charlotte's first WNBA franchise, the Charlotte Sting, folded nearly two decades ago, but support for women's sports has transformed since the early 2000s, giving WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert confidence to aim for a 16-team league by 2028.
Three new teams will tip off over the next two years: Golden State Valkyries in 2025, plus the Toronto Tempo and a Portland team (whose name is TBA) in 2026.
State of play: Businesswoman Erica Berman is leading the bid with the support of her family, according to Nadia Eke, a consultant and spokesperson for the Charlotte bid. The team would be called the Charlotte Sting and play at Spectrum Center as early as 2028.
The bid for the 16th franchise was submitted to Allen & Company, a New York-based investment bank leading the expansion process, before the Jan. 30 deadline, according to Eke.
"We have been in the process and engaged with the league since 2022," Eke tells Axios. "We had previously submitted for the 15th franchise."
Hornets owners Gabe Plotkin, Rick Schnall and Damian Mills are part of the project, per Eke. HSE released a statement saying it believes in the growth of women's basketball and the WNBA.
Earlier this month, the WNBA filed new trademark applications for the Sting and four of its other former franchises, WUNC reported.
By the numbers: WNBA expansion fees are soaring. Golden State paid $50 million, while Toronto paid a reported $115 million and Portland paid $125 million, USA Today reported. It's unclear what Charlotte's bidding team is offering.
What they're saying: " The Charlotte Sting have a storied history and a passionate fanbase within our community," HSE said in a statement. "We are proud to back the Berman family and be a part of this larger group that is bidding to bring the WNBA back to Charlotte."
Context: The previous iteration of the Sting was an original WNBA franchise and it was under the same ownership as the Bobcats (today's Hornets).
The Sting, which stayed in Charlotte after the original Hornets moved to New Orleans, folded in 2007 amid low attendance and declining revenue after failure to find a buyer.
Zoom in: Erica Berman is an executive at financial services company CardWorks, which her father, Don, founded in the 1980s.
The Berman family has invested millions in Unrivaled, a new professional 3-on-3 women's basketball league.
The family has also donated millions to Davidson College, which Erica's brother, Matt, attended. They're also close with Davidson men's basketball's current head coach, Matt McKillop and former head coach Bob McKillop.
Zoom out: Charlotte has hosted high-caliber women's college basketball with the Ally Tipoff in recent years. In 2023, 15,196 filled Spectrum Center to see Iowa's All-American Caitlin Clark take on Virginia Tech.
Ally Tipoff drew 15,424 people in 2024 for a doubleheader that included reigning national champion South Carolina.
Charlotte Sports Foundation and Ally Financial have a deal to bring the Ally Tipoff to Spectrum Center through 2026.
Spectrum Center will also host the 2027 ACC women's basketball tournament.
The big picture: Women's sports have experienced massive growth in recent years. If the bid succeeds, Charlotte could have two professional women's basketball teams — one in the WNBA and one in the newly formed UpShot League that tips off in 2026 and will call Bojangles Coliseum home.
The city also has a professional women's soccer team, the Carolina Ascent, which kicked off last summer.
What we're watching: Charlotte isn't the only team hoping for a WNBA expansion franchise. Other contenders include Philadelphia, Nashville and Detroit.
The league is looking at 10-12 " very viable" cities, commissioner Engelbert told reporters in October.
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