Donna Orender out as commissioner of Upshot League after inaugural season
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 14, 2026, 5:58 PM
Last updated Sep 14, 2026
Donna Orender has stepped down as commissioner of the Upshot League, effective August 31. Following her departure, Taj McWilliams-Franklin has been promoted to deputy commissioner, while Dee Brown joins as vice president of basketball operations. The Upshot League, co-founded by Orender, aims to provide a professional environment for women's basketball players. It successfully facilitated player transitions to the WNBA, while the league continues its operations independently from the WNBA.
- •Orender has resigned after the league's first season.
- •Taj McWilliams-Franklin takes over as deputy commissioner.
- •Dee Brown named vice president of basketball operations.
- •The Upshot League aims to be a development platform for women's basketball.
- •Two new teams will join the league in 2027.
- 5:58 PMYahoo Sports — Former WNBA president Donna Orender out as commissioner of Upshot League
"Donna Orender, who co-founded the Upshot League, will no longer serve as its commissioner. The former WNBA president's tenure ended on Aug. 31.
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