This has been a winning summer for University of Maryland alum Shyanne Sellers, who is currently playing for the Jacksonville Waves of the UPSHOT (basketball) League. The Waves were the only team of the league’s four squads that had double-digit wins (12-4) when they faced the Savannah Steel (7-8) last night (Wednesday). The Charlotte Crown were 7-8 and the Greensboro Groove 5-11 in UPSHOT’s inaugural season.
Sellers is building her resumé while playing alongside other talented pros who are also developing their skills.
“I’ve met such great people,”said Sellers, voicing her appreciation for league co-founder Donna Orender and vice president of basketball operations Taj McWilliams-Franklin. “Taj is a shoulder to lean on, talk to at any point, give you advice, tells you what she sees, and tells it honestly. Having her in this whole experience has been huge for a lot of us.”
Sellers said the Waves have great chemistry, with several players having previously known each other either from collegiate basketball or overseas. “When we got here, we really bought into what Coach Jess (head coach Jessica Bogia) wanted to do and built that chemistry quickly because training camp wasn’t that long,” she said. “Us buying into the process sped things up.”
UPSHOT provides high-level opportunities for players building their resumés toward long-term professional basketball careers. Sellers got to live her basketball dream when she was the 17th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but she was cut in training camp by the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream. She played some 3×3 and then went overseas and played in Israel. This year, she signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings, but did not make the roster.
“It’s definitely tough; even with the expansion teams, there are not enough spots in the WNBA,” Sellers said. “With UPSHOT, it gives us an opportunity to play in the States … You just put your head down and go to work.”
UPSHOT is bringing elite women’s pro hoops to cities that don’t have access to WNBA teams. Audiences are enthusiastic and appreciative. A couple of AAU teams attended a recent game, finding inspiration with the level of play. “For these fans, they’re getting the experience and buying into women’s sports,” said Sellers.
Playing in the U.S. enables Sellers to spend more time with fiancée Faith Masonius, Sellers’s Terrapin teammate, who played her final year of eligibility at Seton Hall. “I knew people would be happy for us, but I didn’t expect that many people to actually care,” said Sellers. “I’m super-grateful for the people [who] have bought into my journey.”
