“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish” — an expression that the Charlotte Crown of the UPSHOT League embodied in winning the league’s inaugural championship. The team that started the season 1–6 faced off against the Jacksonville Waves, the team that not only dominated regular season play but also had homecourt advantage. Despite a rough start, the Crown, led by championship MVP Deja Kelly with 29 points, came away with the 81–76 victory.
“It feels really good to be a champ, but it feels even better to have gotten the job done with such a great group and great coaches,” said A.D. Durr, who had 11 points in the championship game. “I will forever treasure this … Winning on the road made this game even more special for us.”
This inaugural season featured four teams: Waves, Crown, Greensboro Groove, and Savannah Steel. A plethora of talent took to the courts in the 34-game schedule. “It challenges you mentally and physically,” said Durr. “That puts you into a space where you really have to dig deep and find a way to get the job done.”
It was a collective effort. “It was special to see all your hard work pay off,” Durr said. “Every day in practice we were grinding … We needed everybody on that team. We all had to learn and we all had to teach at some point.”
For Durr, this was a return to form, showing the moves that made them the No 2. pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. “I progressed throughout the season; I do feel I got better,” they said. “With it being my first full season in two years, I’m thankful to be back out there … My next step is getting some rest and then getting back to the court and continue to get better.”
Season MVP went to Ariel Hearn of the Waves. The Crown’s Schaquilla Nunn is Defensive Player of the Year and Taylor Soule received the Sixth Woman award. The All-UPSHOT Team is Hearn, Nunn, Kelly, Diamond Johnson (Groove), Lasha Petree (Steel), and Rennia Davis (Waves).
Being part of the inception of UPSHOT was motivating for Durr. “I know it comes with a higher responsibility in terms of making sure you are a good representation, not just of you but your team, the league, the coaches,” they said. “I’m thankful to be part of something so special.”
