London, UK, May 2025
Sphera Partners is thrilled to announce its investment in UPSHOT, an innovative and groundbreaking women’s professional basketball league set to debut in 2026. Designed to serve as a development platform for elite women’s basketball talent, UPSHOT aims to fill a vital gap in the U.S. sports ecosystem by nurturing future stars and expanding opportunities for women athletes.
As a founding investor, Sphera is partnering with a highly experienced leadership team - including former WNBA executive Donna Orender and proven minor league operator Andy Kaufmann - to build a league rooted in community engagement, player development, and long-term sustainability. UPSHOT’s framework emphasises a player-first approach, profitability from day one, and significant potential for growth and expansion across North America.
"We’re excited to back Andy, Donna and the team to build an important future component of the fast-growing women’s basketball ecosystem. Their experience is unrivalled and their energy contagious! Let’s go UPSHOT!” said Nicki Boyd, Managing Partner at Sphera.
The league’s ownership group is comprised of prominent figures such as basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former WNBA and NDA executive Ann Meyers Drysdale, former WBA boxing champion Seniesa Estrada, actress Annie Q, and acclaimed film producer Chris Robert.
Scheduled to run concurrently with the WNBA season, UPSHOT seeks to develop the talent pipeline for women’s basketball, which is experiencing rapid growth in fan engagement, commercial interest, and athletic development. The league will initially launch with four teams in the Southeast - Jacksonville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Savannah - with ambitious plans for expansion across the region and beyond.
This investment marks another milestone in Sphera’s ongoing commitment to unlocking value in women’s and mixed-gender sports through innovation, inclusivity, and integrity.
About Sphera Partners
Sphera Partners is a newly launched investment firm dedicated to accelerating the growth of women’s sports and delivering strong financial returns.