Baltimore has a new professional women’s basketball team, and they just unveiled their team name: The Baltimore Starlings. A Sept. 10 announcement explained that the team’s name was chosen through a contest which allowed Baltimoreans to submit their own ideas, and vote for what the team would be called. “The Baltimore Starlings represent everything this city stands for: determination, grit, and pride,” Sonia Chase, President of the Baltimore Starlings and University of Maryland Terrapin alum, said in a press release.
The release explains that starlings are frequently spotted in Baltimore skies, but given that they move “as a united front,” the name is even more fitting for a sports team. Chase continued, “Just like the flocks that fill our skies every fall, our fans, our players, and our city are strongest when we move together. This name and this logo were shaped by the people of Baltimore, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring this identity to life for our hometown.”
Moreover, given Baltimore is already the home of the Ravens and the Orioles, choosing the name of a bird feels fitting.
The team, which is slated to begin playing in May 2027, isn’t a part of the WNBA, but the startup Upshot League, which launched its inaugural season this May with four teams. The new league, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, is cofounded by Andy Kaufmann, founder of Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, and commissioner Donna Orender, former President of the WNBA.
In addition to the Baltimore Starlings, the league has unveiled new teams in Nashville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Savannah, and Jacksonville. The Upshot League is in the process of expanding and is looking to add more teams in the coming years. According to a press conference earlier this year, by 2028, the league expects to have between 10 and 12 teams.
The Upshot League has raised $40 million in initial funding from investors, including basketball greats Tamika Catchings, Cheryl Miller, and Ann Meyers Drysdale.
The league is launching at a time when women’s sports, and in particular, women’s basketball has seen unprecedented growth in terms of its popularity in recent years. In 2021, the 54 million viewers tuned in to watch WNBA games, and 2.3 million fans attended games, up 48 percent year-over-year.
Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, whose investment firm Seven Seven Six funded L.A.-based soccer team Angel City Football Club, told Inc. last year, “I would expect to see multiple billion-dollar women’s teams in 10 years.”
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