Charlotte Hornets Now Backing Bid to Bring Back WNBA Sting
The Charlotte Hornets are throwing their support behind plans to bring back the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting. The clock is ticking – with the WNBA’s expansion proposal deadline coming up on January 30, 2025.
Leading this comeback effort is Erica Berman. With strong financial backing from CardWorks, her father’s New York credit and payments company, the bid looks promising.
The Sting first hit the court in 1997 as one of the WNBA’s original teams. They showed early promise – putting up a 15-13 record and making it to the playoffs before losing to Houston.
The team peaked in 2001. In an impressive playoff run, they beat both Cleveland and New York before losing to Los Angeles in the championship.
The team’s standout player, Dawn Staley, dominated the game with incredible talent. She put up 9.3 points while adding 5.6 assists and grabbing 1.6 steals per game. After hanging up her jersey, she turned to coaching, starting at Temple before building a basketball powerhouse at South Carolina.
Fan favorites Andrea Stinson, Vicky Bullett, and Nicole Powell helped make the Sting special. The team wrapped up their run under coach Muggsy Bogues with an 11-23 season.
The Sting played their games first at Charlotte Coliseum before moving to Charlotte Bobcats Arena during their nine years. The crowds were always fired up, creating an energy that many locals still talk about today.
Even after the WNBA stepped in and talked about moving the team to Kansas City, the Sting shut down in 2006. Now, fifteen years later, Charlotte might get another shot at women’s pro basketball.
