Charlotte Nails Audition for Return to Women's Basketball

If the Ally Tipoff was any indication, Charlotte could return to the women's basketball scene.

We're just days away from the WNBA Draft Lottery and as the future of the league continues to get brighter and brighter with the addition of new franchises, the question still remains; where next? Will the league claim stake to some new, uncharted territory or will they go back to old stomping grounds? If the Ally Tipoff if is any indication then it could be the latter.

Last week's Ally Tipoff left a lasting impression on the coaches and players alike and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is hopeful this paves the way for Charlotte to return as a staple city in women's basketball.

"I think this is a sample of what this city can do," she said after the Gamecocks' 71-57 win over NC State. "I've been a part of a WNBA franchise being here. People came to watch us play. I still have a relationship with the ball girls and ball boys...I think this is a prime spot for a WNBA team, for a Final Four. Anything that women are doing. I mean you see the city, they just embrace the game."

The next few Final Four locations are set, but Charlotte is in the queue and Iowa head coach Jan Jenson said the environment was already comparable to The Big Dance.

"Hats off to the organizers of this Ally Tournament. It's top notch," she said. "It feels like the NCAA Tournament, they treat it like the NCAA Tournament and every woman on every team that competed, it makes them feel special and it's a really special event."

The Ally Tipoff is in its second year of existence with plans to return to the Spectrum Center in 2025 and 2026.

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