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Berman family officially submits bid to restore Charlotte Sting franchise

The Charlotte Sting were one of the original founding teams when the WNBA began play in 1997.

Ali Jawad

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Information for this article was provided by a press release from Bid Consultant Nadia Eke of stinghive.com

In a significant move for women's professional basketball, the Berman family has officially submitted a WNBA expansion bid to revive the Charlotte Sting. The bid represents a potential return of one of the league's original franchises to the Queen City after a nearly two-decade absence.

The bid process, comes at unprecedented growth for women's basketball.

“The bid process for us started in September 2022," said potential team owner Erica Berman. "We saw the value and importance of women’s sports and the trajectory of women’s basketball. Our family has a deep love for the game and the sport, and we want to restore the Sting for its past, the city’s present, and its future.”

The initiative has garnered substantial local support, including backing from current Charlotte Hornets ownership. Majority owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, along with minority owner Damian Mills, have joined forces with the Bermans to strengthen the bid. This collaboration signals a unified front in Charlotte's sports community.

Bid consultant Nadia Eke has helped lead the community engagement effort and emphasized the city's readiness for a WNBA franchise.

“Charlotte deserves a WNBA expansion team, Eke said. "The market data shows that Charlotte has the infrastructure to support such a franchise. It’s about promise. It’s about community, it’s about empowerment. And that’s what we want this team to really embody and what we want the return of the Sting to really be about.”

The original Charlotte Sting, which operated from 1997 to 2006, was a cornerstone of the WNBA's early years. The team reached its competitive peak with an appearance in the 2001 WNBA Finals, creating memories that still resonate with local basketball fans.

If approved, the team could become the WNBA's 16th franchise, with a potential debut as early as 2028. The timeline would allow approximately three years for the development of essential infrastructure, including a dedicated practice facility.

The bid has already generated significant community support, with over 4,000 signatures collected through a petition drive. Notable basketball figures, including former Sting player and current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley, have endorsed the effort.

"The Carolinas are the heartbeat of basketball in the United States," Berman noted, highlighting the region's rich basketball heritage. "With storied programs like Davidson, Duke, NC State, Wake Forest, and South Carolina in close proximity, reviving the Sting isn't just for Charlotte—it's for the entire region. We’re building a legacy that brings people together."

As WNBA officials review the expansion bid and work to secure the Charlotte Sting brand trademark, basketball fans throughout the Carolinas await the potential return of professional women's basketball to Charlotte, marking what could be a new chapter in the city's sporting history.

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Ali Jawad
ALI JAWAD

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