CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Crown today announced that forward Michelle Onyiah has signed a WNBA contract with the Indiana Fever, becoming the first player from the UPSHOT League's inaugural season to earn a WNBA opportunity.

kAm~?J:29 H2D 2 7@C46 7@C E96 rC@H? E9C@F89@FE E96 a_ae D62D@?[ 2G6C28:?8 h]e A@:?ED 2?5 e]h C63@F?5D :? ab]h >:?FE6D A6C 82>6 H9:=6 D9@@E:?8 da]g A6C46?E 7C@> E96 7:6=5] sFC:?8 96C a` 82>6D H:E9 r92C=@EE6[ E96 e\7@@E\b 7@CH2C5 C64@C565 a_` A@:?ED[ `cd C63@F?5D 2?5 ab 3=@4<65 D9@ED[ 2?49@C:?8 E96 rC@H?VD 7C@?E4@FCE H:E9 96C A9JD:42= A=2J[ 677:4:6?4J 2?5 5676?D:G6 AC6D6?46]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D J62C[ ~?J:29 2=D@ 2EE6?565 EC2:?:?8 42>A H:E9 E96 }6H *@C< {:36CEJ 367@C6 ;@:?:?8 E96 r92C=@EE6 rC@H? 7@C E96 :?2F8FC2= &!$w~% {628F6 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmQ|:496==6 62C?65 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ E9C@F89 96C C6=6?E=6DD H@C< 6E9:4[ 4@?D:DE6?4J 2?5 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 86EE:?8 36EE6C 6G6CJ 52J[Q D2:5 r92C=@EE6 rC@H? w625 r@249 %C:D92 $E277@C5\~5@>] Q$96 >256 2 EC6>6?5@FD :>A24E @? @FC E62>[ 2?5 H6VC6 6I4:E65 E@ D66 96C 4@?E:?F6 96C AC@76DD:@?2= 42C66C :? E96 (}qp]Qk^Am
kAmp DE2?5@FE 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r2=:7@C?:2[ ~?J:29 96=A65 =625 E96 v@=56? q62CD E@ E96 a_ad }rpp %@FC?2>6?E H9:=6 6DE23=:D9:?8 96CD6=7 2D @?6 @7 E96 AC@8C2>VD 2==\E:>6 8C62ED] sFC:?8 96C 7:?2= 4@==68:2E6 D62D@?[ D96 =65 E96 prr 2?5 C2?<65 ``E9 ?2E:@?2==J :? 7:6=5\8@2= A6C46?E286 H9:=6 7:?:D9:?8 D64@?5 :? E96 4@?76C6?46 :? 5@F3=6\5@F3=6D 5FC:?8 prr A=2J] $96 4@?4=F565 96C r2= 42C66C C2?<65 2>@?8 E96 AC@8C2>VD 2==\E:>6 =6256CD[ :?4=F5:?8 D:IE9 :? 42C66C 7:6=5\8@2= A6C46?E286 Wdc]_TX[ 7:7E9 :? 42C66C 3=@4<D W`cbX[ E9:C5 :? D:?8=6\D62D@? 7:6=5\8@2= A6C46?E286 We_]bTX 2?5 `_E9 :? D:?8=6\D62D@? 3=@4<D WccX]k^Am
kAm~?J:29VD D:8?:?8 C6AC6D6?ED 2? :>A@CE2?E >:=6DE@?6 7@C E96 &!$w~% {628F6 2?5 56>@?DEC2E6D E96 42=:36C @7 E2=6?E 4@>A6E:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 =628F6] &!$w~% H2D 4C62E65 E@ 6IA2?5 AC@76DD:@?2= A=2J:?8 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 6=:E6 H@>6? 32D<6E32== A=2J6CD :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 56=:G6C 9:89\=6G6= 4@>A6E:E:@? 2?5 3F:=5 E62>D E92E 364@>6 >62?:?87F= A2CED @7 E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D] %9C@F89@FE :ED :?2F8FC2= D62D@?[ E96 =628F6 92D 762EFC65 244@>A=:D965 A=2J6CD H:E9 4@==68:2E6[ :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2?5 (}qp 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
kAm%96 x?5:2?2 u6G6C 4FCC6?E=J @H? @?6 @7 E96 (}qpVD E@A C64@C5D 2?5 D:E 2E@A E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 2D E96J 4@?E:?F6 E96:C AFD9 E@H2C5 E96 a_ae A@DED62D@?]k^Am
kAmQ|:496==6VD D:8?:?8 :D 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 249:6G6>6?E 2?5 2? 6I4:E:?8 >@>6?E 7@C E96 6?E:C6 &!$w~% {628F6[Q D2:5 &!$w~% {628F6 r@>>:DD:@?6C s@??2 ~C6?56C] Q(6 2C6 :?4C65:3=J AC@F5 @7 |:496==6] w6C 249:6G6>6?E C67=64ED 96C 92C5 H@C< 2?5 56E6C>:?2E:@?[ E96 6I46AE:@?2= =6G6= @7 E2=6?E 4@>A6E:?8 :? @FC =628F6 2?5 E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E92E 42? 6>6C86 H96? A=2J6CD 92G6 2 AC@76DD:@?2= A=2E7@C> @? H9:49 E@ 4@>A6E6[ 8C@H 2?5 36 D66?]Qk^Am
kAmpD E96 &!$w~% {628F6 AC6A2C6D 7@C :ED :?2F8FC2= r92>A:@?D9:A (66<6?5 @? pF8FDE ah 2E 'J$E2C '6E6C2?D |6>@C:2= pC6?2 :? y24<D@?G:==6[ ~?J:29VD D:8?:?8 AC@G:56D 2?@E96C A@H6C7F= 6I2>A=6 @7 E96 E2=6?E[ 4@>A6E:E:@? 2?5 @AA@CEF?:EJ 567:?:?8 E96 =628F6VD 9:DE@C:4 7:CDE D62D@?]k^Am
kAmp3@FE E96 r92C=@EE6 rC@H?k^Am
kAm%96 r92C=@EE6 rC@H? 2C6 2 7@F?5:?8 7C2?49:D6 @7 E96 &!$w~% {628F6[ 3C:?8:?8 6=:E6 AC@76DD:@?2= H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== E@ E96 "F66? r:EJ] %96 rC@H? AC@G:56 2E9=6E6D H:E9 2 9:89\=6G6= AC@76DD:@?2= 6?G:C@?>6?E :? H9:49 E@ 4@>A6E6 H9:=6 3F:=5:?8 2 =2DE:?8 4@??64E:@? H:E9 E96 r92C=@EE6 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmp3@FE E96 &!$w~% {628F6k^Am
kAm%96 &!$w~% {628F6[ 4@\7@F?565 3J s@??2 ~C6?56C 2?5 p?5J z2F7>2??[ :D 2 AC6>:6C H@>6?VD AC@76DD:@?2= 32D<6E32== =628F6 3F:=E @? 6=:E6 4@>A6E:E:@?[ A=2J6C @AA@CEF?:EJ[ 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 72? 4@??64E:@?] %96 =628F6 AC@G:56D 2 9:89\=6G6= AC@76DD:@?2= A=2E7@C> 7@C 2E9=6E6D H9:=6 6IA2?5:?8 E96 C6249 2?5 :>A24E @7 H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== :? 4@>>F?:E:6D 24C@DD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm|65:2 r@?E24Eik^Am
kAm{6D=:6p??6 (256[ k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i&!$w~%o&!$w~%{tpv&t]4@>Qm&!$w~%o&!$w~%{tpv&t]4@>k^2m[ Wh`fX fd`\fehbk^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^>>I]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^|$`heaaac^&!$w~%];A8n:5l~paga_`cbQ E:E=6lQ&!$w~% {628F6Q 2=ElQ&!$w~% {628F6Q ^mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?l}*`ehggU2>AjD5la_ae\_f\b`Q ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^492C=@EE6\4C@H?D\>:496==6\@?J:29\364@>6D\7:CDE\FAD9@E\=628F6\A=2J6C\E@\D:8?\H?32\4@?EC24E\b_agc_agh]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^492C=@EE6\4C@H?D\>:496==6\@?J:29\364@>6D\7:CDE\FAD9@E\=628F6\A=2J6C\E@\D:8?\H?32\4@?EC24E\b_agc_agh]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt &!$w~%k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5l}*`ehggU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_fb``ccc!#0}t($0&$!#00000}*`ehggU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_fb`Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am



