HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Charlotte Sting were a
Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
(WNBA) team based in
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007. The Sting was originally the sister organization of the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, until that
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
team relocated to
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. Robert L. Johnson, founder of
Black Entertainment Television Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
, purchased the team in January 2003, shortly after he was announced as the principal owner of an NBA expansion franchise that replaced the departing Hornets.


History


Early years

The Charlotte Sting was one of the eight original WNBA franchises that began play in 1997, and were then the sister team to the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
. The Sting finished their first season with a 15–13 record and qualified for the first WNBA playoffs, but lost to eventual champions
Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
in the one-game semifinal. The 1998 Sting finished the season with an 18–12 record. In the playoffs, the Sting once again lost the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Houston Comets, and the Comets once again took home the championship. During the
1998 WNBA season The 1998 WNBA season was the Women's National Basketball Association's second season. The 1998 season saw two expansion teams join the league, the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics. The expansion teams allowed the defending champions Houston Co ...
, Sting player
Kelly Boucher Kelly Boucher (born 13 January 1968 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian former basketball player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2000 Summer Olympics. She also played for the Charlotte Sting of the Women's National Basketball Ass ...
became the first Canadian to play in the league. In the 1998–1999 offseason, with the folding of the American Basketball League, the Sting added former ABL guard
Dawn Staley Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970) is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach, who is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head co ...
to an already impressive roster that featured
Vicky Bullett Victoria Andrea Bullett (born October 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and current women's basketball head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNB ...
and
Andrea Stinson Andrea Stinson (born November 25, 1967) is a retired professional basketball player from the United States, playing from 1998 to 2005 for the Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock. Early life Andrea went to North Mecklenburg High School in Hunt ...
. Their record, however, fell to 15–17 in 1999. It was still enough to qualify them for the playoffs, where they defeated the
Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. ...
in the opening round 60–54. In the Conference Finals, the Sting fell to the
New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was f ...
2 games to 1. The 2000 season was very disappointing for the Sting, with a final record of 8–24. They missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The 2001 Sting lost 10 of their first 11 games. But the team lost only four games after that, finishing with an 18–14 record. Although they had barely qualified for the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, in the first round the Sting upset first the No. 1 seeded
Cleveland Rockers The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Cleveland, that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which started in 1997. The owner was Gordon Gu ...
and then the No. 2 New York Liberty, beating each in three games. For the first time in franchise history, the Sting found themselves in the WNBA Finals. But the magic ended there for the Sting, as they were swept by the
Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
in two games. The Sting posted a 18–14 record in the 2002 season, but were swept by the
Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...
in the first round of the playoffs. After the 2001–2002 NBA season, the Charlotte Hornets relocated to
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
(see "
New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
"), and the Sting did not relocate with them to New Orleans. For the 2003 season, the Sting had no brother team.


Late years

The
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
immediately announced, after the Hornets moved, that a new team would begin play in Charlotte starting in the 2004–2005 season. Shortly after, Robert L. Johnson was announced as owner of this new franchise. Johnson also bought the Sting to play as the sister team of the new
Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...
. The 2003 season saw yet another playoff appearance for the Sting. The franchise had posted an 18–16 record and tied with the
Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established ...
for the No. 2 seed. The Sting played the same Sun in the playoffs, and were swept out in two games. After the season, Johnson changed the Sting team colors from the Hornets' teal and purple to correspond with the Bobcats' blue and orange. There was some speculation that the team might get a new name, but a newly released mascot following the same Sting theme made that idea unlikely. During the off-season, the team made several key roster additions to its established group of veterans. After trading Kelly Miller to the
Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...
in exchange for the 3rd overall pick in the WNBA Draft, the Sting drafted
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
standout
Nicole Powell Nicole Kristen Powell (born June 22, 1982) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball, University of California, Riverside. As a player, she had a standout col ...
. The Sting made four picks overall – including the second round pick of
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
standout
Kelly Mazzante Kelly Anne Mazzante (born February 2, 1982) is an American retired professional women's basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, she was the all-time leading scorer in Big T ...
. The Sting did not make the playoffs in the 2004 season, as they posted a 16–18 record and finished one game out of the No. 4 seed. After the season, the Sting continued to build for the future, trading with the
Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Arena. The Mona ...
for
Tangela Smith Tangela Nicole Smith (born April 1, 1977) is a retired American basketball player in the WNBA. Smith played the bulk of her career for the Sacramento Monarchs and the Phoenix Mercury where she won two WNBA Championships. She's currently an assis ...
and a second-round draft pick in the 2006 draft in a deal that saw
Nicole Powell Nicole Kristen Powell (born June 22, 1982) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball, University of California, Riverside. As a player, she had a standout col ...
traded to Sacramento. Having won the first pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft, the Sting selected
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
player
Janel McCarville Janel McCarville (born November 3, 1982) is an American professional basketball player from Custer, Wisconsin who is currently a WNBA free agent. High school years Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, McCarville attended Stevens Point Area Senio ...
. The new-look Sting suffered a terrible 2005 season, posting the league's worst record at 6–28. During the season, the Sting traded veteran Dawn Staley to the
Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
and named Charlotte basketball icon
Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is a former American basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season caree ...
as their new head coach late in the season. The season also saw the team play its last game in the
Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles' Coliseum (which was called Charlott ...
, the team's home arena since 1997. The Sting moved into the Bobcats' new home,
Charlotte Bobcats Arena Spectrum Center is an indoor arena located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by the city of Charlotte and operated by its main tenant, the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. The arena seats 19,077 for NBA games but can be expanded to 20, ...
, for the 2006 season. The Sting had a better season in 2006 than 2005, posting an 11–23 record. The Sting had a new arena and were clearly making progress in the rebuilding. Despite the growing number of successes on the court, the 2006 season proved to be the Sting's final season in the league.


End of the Sting

On December 13, 2006, Bobcats Sports and Entertainment turned ownership of the team over to the league, citing low attendance in Charlotte (despite a new arena) and loss of revenue.


Attempted Move to Kansas City

An investment group in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
had an interest in moving the Sting to Kansas City. The Sting were to play in the
Sprint Center T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively becom ...
, which was due to open in the Fall of 2007. The city has not had an NBA team since the
Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...
' move to
Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
after the 1984–85 season.


The Sting Fold

After months of talk and deliberation between the league and the investors, the plans ultimately fell through. On January 3, 2007, the Bobcats announced that the fundraising effort by a group seeking to move the team to
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
had failed. The team folded immediately, and the players went to the other teams in the league via a
dispersal draft A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team ceases to exist or is merged with another team. Like most other sports drafts, most dispersal drafts are conducted in North America. ...
.


Season-by-season records


Uniforms

*1997–2003: on the road, teal with white and purple trim, Sting logo text on the chest. At home, white with teal and purple trim. Sting logo mascot on the shorts, similar to the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
*2004–2006: on the road, orange with blue trim, Sting logo text on the chest. At home, white with orange trim. Sting logo mascot on the shorts, similar to the Charlotte Bobcats.


Players


Retired numbers


Notable players

*
Cass Bauer-Bilodeau Cass Bauer-Bilodeau (born Cassandra Sue Bauer on June 27, 1972) is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player. Basketball career A native of Hysham, Montana, she graduated in 1994 from Montana State University, where she ...
*
Vicky Bullett Victoria Andrea Bullett (born October 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and current women's basketball head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNB ...
*
Monique Currie Monique Currie (born February 25, 1983) is a former American basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She retired on February 26, 2019, and will now work for Nike. Currie was traded from ...
*
Edniesha Curry Edniesha Nicole Curry (born July 9, 1979) is a former assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). She previously played in the Women's National Basketball Association for the Phoenix Mercury and th ...
*
Helen Darling Helen Marie Darling (born August 29, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player, who played most recently for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In her WNBA career, Darling has mo ...
*
Shalonda Enis Shalonda Enis (born December 3, 1974) is a former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Mystics and Charlotte Sting of the WNBA. Biography Enis started playing basketball at age 12 at her middle school in Celeste, Texas. ...
*
Rhonda Mapp Rhonda Mapp (born October 13, 1969) is a former professional basketball player. She played 13 professional seasons, including time in Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Israel, and Korea. Expanded description Rhonda Mapp was hired as the coach at Q ...
*
Kelly Mazzante Kelly Anne Mazzante (born February 2, 1982) is an American retired professional women's basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, she was the all-time leading scorer in Big T ...
*
Janel McCarville Janel McCarville (born November 3, 1982) is an American professional basketball player from Custer, Wisconsin who is currently a WNBA free agent. High school years Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, McCarville attended Stevens Point Area Senio ...
* Kelly Miller *
Jia Perkins Jia Dorene Perkins (born February 23, 1982) is an American retired professional basketball player. She announced her retirement after the 2017 season when the Lynx won the WNBA championship. She was born in Newburgh, New York. She moved to Granbu ...
*
Nicole Powell Nicole Kristen Powell (born June 22, 1982) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at UC Riverside Highlanders women's basketball, University of California, Riverside. As a player, she had a standout col ...
*
Tracy Reid Tracy LaShawn Reid (born November 1, 1976) is a former professional WNBA basketball player. Reid attended college at University of North Carolina and graduated in 1998. Selected by the Charlotte Sting in the first round (7th overall) of the 1998 ...
* Charlotte Smith *
Tangela Smith Tangela Nicole Smith (born April 1, 1977) is a retired American basketball player in the WNBA. Smith played the bulk of her career for the Sacramento Monarchs and the Phoenix Mercury where she won two WNBA Championships. She's currently an assis ...
*
Dawn Staley Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970) is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach, who is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head co ...
*
Andrea Stinson Andrea Stinson (born November 25, 1967) is a retired professional basketball player from the United States, playing from 1998 to 2005 for the Charlotte Sting and the Detroit Shock. Early life Andrea went to North Mecklenburg High School in Hunt ...
*
Tammy Sutton-Brown Tamara Kim "Tammy" Sutton-Brown (born January 27, 1978) is a Canadian retired professional basketball player. Her primary position was center. Throughout her playing career, Sutton-Brown played for the Charlotte Sting and Indiana Fever of the Wome ...
*
Tiffany Travis Tiffany Travis (born March 20, 1978) is a retired American professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Travis was born in Picayune, Mississippi. She attended Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, M ...


Final roster


Coaches and others


Head coaches

*
Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors (born August 27, 1943) is an American women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She most recently served as head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association a ...
(1997–1999) * Dan Hughes (1999) *
T.R. Dunn Theodore Roosevelt Dunn (born February 1, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who used to be an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A star at the University of Alabama, Dun ...
(2000) *
Anne Donovan Anne Theresa Donovan (November 1, 1961 – June 13, 2018) was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun. In her playing career, Donovan won a national championship with Ol ...
(2001–2002) (
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
) *
Trudi Lacey Trudi Lacey (born December 12, 1958) is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). NC State statistics Source USA Basketball Lacey was named to the team rep ...
(2003–August 2, 2005) * Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues (August 3, 2005 – 2007)


General managers

*
Marynell Meadors Marynell Meadors (born August 27, 1943) is an American women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She most recently served as head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association a ...
(1997–99) *
Bob Bass Robert Eugene Bass (January 28, 1929 – August 17, 2018) was an American basketball coach and executive who worked in college basketball, the American Basketball Association (ABA), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Coaching career ...
(1999-2003) *
Bernie Bickerstaff Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944) is an American basketball coach and front office executive, currently serving as the Senior Basketball Advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a coach, he previously worked as the head coach for ...
(2003) *
Trudi Lacey Trudi Lacey (born December 12, 1958) is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). NC State statistics Source USA Basketball Lacey was named to the team rep ...
(2003–07)


Assistant coaches

* Dan Hughes (1999)


References


External links


Bring Back the Charlotte Sting Instagram
{{Authority control Sports teams in Charlotte, North Carolina Defunct Women's National Basketball Association teams Basketball teams established in 1997 Basketball teams disestablished in 2007 Basketball teams in North Carolina