NFL
Less than two weeks ago, Charlotte Crown was 1-6 on a six-game skid. Now, after two straight wins over Greensboro Groove, the first-year franchise has four consecutive victories and sits one game from .500.
The two wins looked different. In the first, all 12 Crown players scored. In the second, Charlotte protected its lead against a persistent Greensboro team.
Taken together, these two wins showed a team clearly on the rise.
Charlotte Crown Growth Is Showing Up On The Court
Wednesday’s victory offered one of the clearest examples yet of Charlotte’s recent growth. Reigan Richardson led with 19 points; Alicia Grissett added 12. Nine players scored at least seven as Charlotte dominated from the start, never letting Greensboro gain momentum.
In contrast, the rematch brought a new set of challenges. Greensboro spent most of Thursday trying to erase Charlotte’s lead, with Sahara Jones scoring a career-high 20 points and Diamond Johnson constantly attacking the basket. The Groove cut into the lead several times but never took control.
Schaquilla Nunn recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Grissett added 14 points. Richardson, Deja Kelly, and Michelle Onyiah also finished in double figures.
More importantly, Charlotte never surrendered the lead.
Those performances echoed what Head Coach Crystal Stafford-Odom emphasized following Wednesday’s victory. “We’re taking a lot more pride in our defense,” Stafford-Odom said. “The way you stand out is being able to get stops.”
Charlotte’s approach showed in both games: defensive rebounds, timely free throws, and key possessions helped them maintain control.
Winning Games In More Than One Way
The two wins were encouraging not just for the results, but also for the different challenges Charlotte overcame. Wednesday’s win featured lineup-wide contributions: all 12 scored, nine had at least seven, and the Crown controlled the game from the start. Charlotte’s offense didn’t rely on any one player.
However, Thursday’s rematch demanded a different approach.
Charlotte built an early lead and spent the night protecting it. Greensboro kept chipping away with Jones’s career high and Johnson’s aggression, forcing the Crown to execute into the fourth quarter.
Each time the Groove made a push, Charlotte responded. Onyiah scored important baskets through contact. Nunn controlled the glass with a double-double. Kelly and Richardson managed the offense, and Grissett added timely scoring.
The final margin was 11, but Charlotte needed focus from start to finish. Given that the team spent the opening weeks searching for consistency, such progress stands out.
Momentum Heads On The Road
This recent home stand ended Wednesday with a memorable win over Greensboro, marking the Crown’s final home game before July 30.
The Crown followed with another win less than 24 hours later, sweeping Greensboro and taking four straight victories into a long road stretch until July 30. Charlotte faces Greensboro again Saturday, then the Savannah Steel on Sunday, with more chances to build on recent progress.
Just a short time ago, the focus was on ending a losing streak. Now, the narrative has shifted.
Charlotte now hits an important stretch playing its best basketball yet.
For now, the Crown’s climb continues.
