Is Charlotte on the verge of becoming a premier women’s basketball city?
In 2001, Charlotte sports weren’t thriving. These were the early days of professional athletics in the Queen City, and neither of its major teams was enjoying much success.
At the time, the Charlotte Hornets had fallen out of favor after revelations of team owner George Shinn’s infidelities emerged during a highly publicized lawsuit, leading Shinn to move the franchise to New Orleans. The Carolina Panthers were just beginning what would be a 1-15 season. However, one beacon shined in all of the slums that year — it was the Charlotte Sting’s WNBA Eastern Conference championship run.
The Sting was one of the WNBA’s eight founding teams, tipping off in 1997 in the now-demolished Charlotte Coliseum. The Sting would go on to enjoy a 10-year run in the league before dissolving in 2007, and beginning a decades-long drought for women’s basketball in Charlotte.
Nearly 20 years later, the Queen City buzzes again with talk of women’s basketball. In November, the success of Ally Tipoff’s second year hosting top women’s college teams in the Spectrum Center could be marked by its record-setting attendance for a regular season women’s basketball game in the state. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said after the event, “We appreciate (Charlotte) treating us like a sport and we appreciate you running a first-class game for us. They created an environment that we can all be proud of” and “Women’s basketball won today.”
Also, joining the buzz, there's talk of the Sting returning to Charlotte in a WNBA franchise expansion, a potential major women’s NCAA tournament championship, and as far as the prestigious CIAA tournament once held here for 15 years — the city wants it back.
On this episode of Charlotte Talks, we discuss the latest developments and the potential for more women’s basketball in Charlotte.
GUESTS:
Dr. Pamela Grundy, historian and author
Jacqie McWilliams-Parker, commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
Susan Shackelford, author and former sports writer for The Charlotte Observer
Erik Spanberg, managing editor of the Charlotte Business Journal
The official publication date for the revised and expanded edition of "Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball" by Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford is Feb. 18, 2025. Pamela and Susan will be at Park Road Books on Feb. 19, signing copies of the book from 7-8 p.m.
