Jacksonville Waves

Jacksonville Waves
League	UpShot League
Founded	January 27, 2025 (2025-01-27) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
History	2026–
Arena	VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Capacity	14,091
Location	Jacksonville, Florida
Team colors	Deep teal, Coastal blue, White
Head coach	Jessica Bogia
Ownership	Zawyer Sports & Entertainment
Website	WavesUpShot.com

The Jacksonville Waves are a professional women’s basketball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Waves are an inaugural franchise of the UpShot League, a developmental women’s basketball league in the United States, set to begin play in May 2026.

History

In January 2025, Zawyer Sports & Entertainment announced the formation of a new women’s professional basketball league — the UpShot League — headquartered in Jacksonville. At that time, the league confirmed it would launch with a minimum of four teams, one of which would be based in Jacksonville.

On October 1, 2025, the UpShot League formally revealed the Jacksonville franchise name and identity: the Jacksonville Waves, along with the appointment of Jessica Bogia as head coach.

On December 8, 2025, the UpShot League announced the opening weekend matchups for each team. Jacksonville is scheduled opened its season on May 15, 2026, against the Charlotte Crown.

Coach

A longtime presence in college basketball, Bogia spent more than two decades as an assistant and recruiting coordinator at programs including the Hofstra Pride, Jacksonville Dolphins, and Memphis Tigers, where she became known for her player-development work and strong recruiting classes. Now joining the Waves, she steps into her first professional head-coaching role.

Team identity

Lt. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ens. Frances Wills, the first African-American officers in the WAVES, the WWII Navy program that inspired the team’s name.

During the launch announcement, league officials stated that the team’s branding draws from Jacksonville’s geography—where the St. Johns River meets the Atlantic Ocean—and honors the legacy of the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, the women's branch of the United States Navy Reserve during World War II, many of whom served at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

Arena

The entrance to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Waves will play their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The UpShot League will play a season of 20 home games and 20 away games. The arena has a capacity of up to 15,000. Andy Kaufmann, the owner of Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, stated in the team's introductory press conference that he wanted to average a higher attendance than some WNBA teams.

Personnel

Current roster

Jacksonville Waves roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. G 12 Ariel Hearn 32 – (1994-04-01)1 April 1994 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Memphis F 40 Jasmine Walker 28 – (1998-02-03)3 February 1998 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Alabama G 10 Lindsey Pulliam 26 – (1999-08-06)6 August 1999 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Northwestern F 22 Brianna Turnage 23 – (2002-10-19)19 October 2002 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Georgia Tech G 5 Emma Von Essen 22 – (2004-04-05)5 April 2004 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Hofstra G 3 Khayla Pointer 27 – (1998-11-25)25 November 1998 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) LSU G 21 Madison Griggs 25 – (2001-01-29)29 January 2001 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Memphis G 6 Shyanne Sellers 23 – (2003-04-24)24 April 2003 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Maryland F 35 Taylor Soule 26 – (2000-01-05)5 January 2000 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Virginia Tech F 0 Rennia Davis 27 – (1999-02-24)24 February 1999 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Tennessee C 2 Adut Bulgak 33 – (1992-12-20)20 December 1992 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Florida State G – Janasia Law 27 – (1999-07-29)29 July 1999 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Delaware State	Head coach Jessica Bogia Assistant coach(es)