Women's Sports Archives

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The UPSHOT League, a new professional women’s basketball league dedicated to expanding opportunities for elite players and strengthening connections within communities, today announced that Tamika Catchings has joined the league as an advisor and investor.

Image caption: The UPSHOT League.

Catchings joins an extraordinary leadership group that already includes basketball pioneers Cheryl Miller and Ann Meyers Drysdale, helping shape the vision and future of the league as it prepares to tip off its inaugural season in May 2026.

“I’m so excited to join the UPSHOT League alongside Cheryl and Ann, two of the most influential people in our sport,” said Catchings. “There are so many talented players and I’m proud to be a part of the effort to create new opportunities for them. I can’t wait to officially kick off the season in May.”

Tamika Catchings is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball. A four-time Olympic gold medalist, Catchings spent her entire 15-year WNBA career with the Indiana Fever, leading the franchise to a WNBA championship in 2012. Known for her relentless defense and leadership, she earned five WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and captured both NCAA and WNBA championships during her career. Catchings was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential figures in the game.

The UPSHOT League was co-founded by Andy Kaufmann, CEO, Zawyer of Zawyer Sports and Donna Orender, who also serves as Commissioner of the UPSHOT League. The league is built around a mission of creating additional professional opportunities for women’s basketball players while fostering meaningful and trusted connections with the communities the teams serve.

“Tamika Catchings represents the very best of our sport—competitive excellence, leadership, and a deep commitment to community,” said Orender. “Her experience as a champion and ambassador for the game will help guide our league as we build a platform that expands opportunities for women in professional basketball.”

Catchings joins fellow advisor Cheryl Miller, widely considered one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s basketball. Miller’s impact spans playing, coaching, and broadcasting. She has served as a sideline reporter for NBA games on TNT Sports and currently works with NBA TV as a reporter and analyst, after previously working as a sportscaster for ABC Sports, TBS Sports, and ESPN. Miller also served as head coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, further cementing her legacy as a pioneer and leader in the sport.

Also serving as an advisor is Ann Meyers Drysdale, a trailblazer who excelled at every level of basketball—from high school and college to the Olympic Games, international competition, and the professional ranks—before becoming one of the most respected voices in sports broadcasting.

The UPSHOT League will launch its inaugural season in May 2026, featuring teams in Charlotte, Jacksonville, Savannah, and Greensboro. Together with its growing roster of leaders and partners, the league aims to build a player-focused professional platform that celebrates elite competition while strengthening the bond between teams and the communities they represent.

Media Contact:
LeslieAnne Wade
UPSHOT League
(917) 751-7693
https://upshotleague.com/

NEWS SOURCE: The UPSHOT League

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (The UPSHOT League), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/tamika-catchings-joins-the-upshot-league-as-advisor-and-investor-alongside-cheryl-miller-and-ann-meyers-drysdale/

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Fresh off attracting more than 1 million viewers to its NCAA Women's Final Four viewing party, HANG, the award-winning fan-athlete community, is welcoming two women steeped in sports and digital marketing to lead a deeper push into women's sports programming, brand engagement and marketing.

With nearly 20 years of digital, traditional media and brand building experience with ESPN, the Walt Disney Company, and CBS Sports, Sara Gotfredson brings to HANG the proven expertise of her Trailblazing Sports Group, a mission based, female-founded sports marketing company focused on elevating women's sports via storytelling and partnerships. While at ESPN, Gotfredson worked with numerous Fortune 100 brands creating powerful partnerships which are recognized as game changers in female-focused marketing investments.

Ashley Rutledge has spearheaded hundreds of storytelling brand relationships and strategic team building initiatives at Snapchat, Facebook and CNN. She is recognized for creating innovative digital opportunities for traditional brands including GE, Diageo, Macy's and Unilever. Her career spans branding and digital media businesses in the US and Canada.

"Of the tens of millions of fans who flock to HANG's second-screen experiences, half are women, and we're committed to connecting them directly to the iconic personalities they feel most passionate about," said Jon Klein, HANG co-founder and CEO. "Sara and Ashley are unmatched in understanding the power of women as purchase decision-makers, and how to harness that energy on behalf of brands via sports."

Gotfredson and Rutledge will collaborate closely with HANG's Head of Marketing and Customer Success, Liz Poerner, and Head of Sales Evan Messinger.

About HANG:

Hang Media, winner of the 2023 Cynopsis Sports Award for best production innovation, is the leading celebrity-fan community, with nearly one million views of each virtual watch party around major sports events including pro and college football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Since HANG's founding in September 2021, nearly 20 million sports fans have come face to face with their idols - star athletes, performers, and influencers - while everyone watches the game on their own TV's.

It's a dream come true for sports lovers, who get to have fun and frank conversations with their heroes about life on and off the field, play trivia contests, and sample products delivered by top sponsors including Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo, MolsonCoors, Dave & Busters, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Pernod Ricard, and others.

Join the fun at https://letshang.live, or contact LeslieAnne Wade at Lwade@wademediamanagement.com for more information.

Fresh off attracting more than 1 million viewers to its NCAA Women's Final Four viewing party, HANG, the award-winning fan-athlete community, is welcoming two women steeped in sports and digital marketing to lead a deeper push into women's sports programming, brand engagement and marketing.

Related link: https://letshang.live/

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Tag Archives: Women’s Sports

Tamika Catchings Joins the UPSHOT League as Advisor and Investor, Alongside Cheryl Miller and Ann Meyers Drysdale

HANG Doubles Down on Programming and Brand Engagement for Women’s Sports, Expands Sales and Marketing Team with Industry Vets Sara Gotfredson and Ashley Rutledge