Sting Wordmark Logo

The Charlotte Sting is a professional women's basketball team that played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2007. During their tenure, the Sting developed an iconic logo and wordmark which has become synonymous with the franchise. In recent years, however, an alternate version of this logo has been adopted by fans and used on merchandise as a way to pay homage to the original design while also giving it a modern twist.

The original Charlotte Sting wordmark was designed by graphic designer Alan Siegel in 1996 when he was hired by then-owner Ray Wooldridge for branding purposes. The font chosen resembled that of collegiate athletic teams at North Carolina universities such as Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill; however, Siegel added unique touches like curved lettering and jagged edges—creating an edgy look that embodied both power and finesse—to make it stand out among other sports logos of its time period. Additionally, he chose purple as one of its primary colors due to its association with royalty throughout history; yellow was chosen for contrast against this royal hue but also because it represented optimism about what lay ahead for the young franchise’s future prospects within WNBA circles at large.

In 2018 when CFL Football League acquired rights from former owner George Shinn Jr., they decided not only to keep the existing brand identity intact but use new elements to create a more contemporary look & feel. An alternate version featuring three stars above “Sting” text replaced traditional single-star iconography seen before - representing strength & resilience achieved through hard work & dedication over the course of years spent building a reputation amongst female athletes worldwide. Moreover, the color palette shifted slightly: navy blue became the main color instead purple, while golden yellow remained the same shade found in the classic iteration.

Today, these two versions have become almost equally popular amongst loyal fanbase who proudly wear them either during games or everyday life activities to show support for the beloved organization's overall success since its inception in back late 90s up until now!