Professional women’s basketball is coming to Rhode Island. The UPSHOT League announced Thursday that Providence has been awarded its eighth franchise, with play beginning in May 2027 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
The team joins Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Nashville in the league’s 2027 expansion class and gives New England its first UPSHOT franchise. The league, which is separate from the WNBA, played its inaugural season this year with four teams: Savannah and Jacksonville in the Southeast, and Greensboro and Charlotte in North Carolina.
“Women’s sports are having a moment that is here to stay, and we want to give young girls across Rhode Island and the region a team to call their own — professional athletes they can see, meet, and look up to right here at home,” said Mark Walsh, the Providence franchise’s board chair and managing partner.
The team is owned by an investor group led by Walsh and will be operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, a Jacksonville, Florida, company that owns the UPSHOT League along with several minor league hockey franchises.
“We see tremendous opportunity in the Rhode Island community with such a strong basketball presence,” said Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the league’s deputy commissioner.
The franchise does not yet have a name. Fans can submit suggestions through a Name the Team contest at Providenceupshot.com, where season memberships are also on sale.
The Amica Mutual Pavilion, a 14,000-seat arena owned by the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority and managed by Oak View Group, is also home to the AHL’s Providence Bruins and Providence College men’s basketball.
“We are proud to bring professional women’s basketball to downtown Providence and to provide thrilling, affordable, family-friendly entertainment for fans across the region,” said Ernie Almonte, the convention center authority’s board chairman.
