Tag: athletes unlimited

Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball announces third season will begin in February

Athletes Unlimited is a professional, domestic league boasting Olympians, WNBA champions and All-Stars.

Athletes Unlimited is a professional domestic league boasting Olympians, WNBA champions and all-stars. The third season takes place from Feb. 29-March 23, 2024, with all games being played at Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.

Twenty-two players have signed contracts for the 2024 season, including two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry, former South Carolina standouts Tiffany Mitchell (Minnesota Lynx), Zia Cooke (Los Angeles Sparks) and Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta Dream) and recent top WNBA draft picks Queen Egbo (Washington Mystics) and Maddy Siegrist (Dallas Wings).

“We are thrilled to tip off Season 3 of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball with such an exciting roster featuring elite talent from across the women’s basketball landscape, and to be back in Dallas, a hotbed of basketball talent and culture,” said Megan Perry, Director of Basketball for Athletes Unlimited. “Fans will be treated to an exciting brand of basketball as these athletes compete to be crowned the champion.”

The players compete under a point system where players and teams are rewarded for individual and team performance. Each week, the four highest-ranked players are appointed captains and redraft teams for the following week’s competition. This not only allows fans to see different matchups each week, but it also allows the players to get a feel for different schemes and teammates.

Many athletes are returning for another season of Athletes Unlimited, including Sydney Colson and Kierstan Bell, members of the 2023 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces; Lexie Brown (Los Angeles Sparks); Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream); Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever); and Odyssey Sims (Dallas Wings).

“I’m super excited to be part of Season 3,” said Brown, who chairs the AU pro basketball player executive committee. “Taking on the role of chairperson of the player executive committee has been a really fun experience for me so far and will continue to prepare me for my future goals in front office work. AU Pro Basketball will be the first time I’ve been on the court since July and I can’t wait to compete with and against the amazing players we have on the roster. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have an opportunity to play in the off-season domestically.”

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14 college softball players drafted in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited draft

The list of draftees included 14 eligible seniors who were selected as members of the 2023 Softball College Draft Class.

Athletes Unlimited Softball held the 2023 Athletes Unlimited College draft at 7 p.m. ET May 8 on YouTube. College players were invited by the player executive committee to join the league and their names were called live.

Athletes Unlimited Softball is a “women’s professional softball league changing the game into can’t-miss-a-thing, action-packed moments you’ve never seen before.”

The list of draftees included 14 eligible seniors who were selected as members of the 2023 Softball College Draft Class. The No. 1 overall pick was Wichita State’s middle infielder Sydney McKinney. She is also one of the Top-10 finalists for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Here are the 14 athletes who were drafted:

This Florida softball player selected in the Athletes Unlimited draft

This beast of a softball player is on track to play at the next level.

Athletes Unlimited Softball held its 2023 Athletes Unlimited College draft Monday, May 8, on YouTube — which included the selection of one Florida Gator. College players were invited by the player executive committee to join the league and their names were called live via stream ahead of the league’s fourth season.

The one Gator to hear her name during Monday night’s draft was graduate student [autotag]Charla Echols[/autotag], who has been among the best athletes in the sport during her Gainesville tenure. Most recently, she made the 2023 USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 “Watch List” as well as participating as a member of the 2022 Team USA Member, which earned a gold medal at the World Games.

Season 4 begins July 28 when 56 of the world’s best professional softball players battle it out over a five-week span of competition at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois. Athletes Unlimited Softball is a “women’s professional softball league changing the game into can’t-miss-a-thing, action-packed moments you’ve never seen before.”

The full list of draftees, including 14 eligible seniors who were selected as members of the 2023 softball college draft class, can be seen at College Sports Wire by clicking here.

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A look at which softball players were selected in the Athletes Unlimited draft

See who was selected in the Athletes Unlimited Softball draft.

Athletes Unlimited Softball held the 2023 Athletes Unlimited College draft at 7 p.m. ET May 8 on YouTube. College players were invited by the player executive committee to join the league and their names were called live.

Season 4 begins July 28 and 56 of the world’s best professional softball players will battle it out for five weeks of competition at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.

Athletes Unlimited Softball is a “women’s professional softball league changing the game into can’t-miss-a-thing, action-packed moments you’ve never seen before.”

The league is unique and players are in control of everything off-the-field from which athletes to recruit to creating league rules and the players retain equity in the league. Each week of the season the top four players become new captains and then draft their teams from scratch.

The scoring is a bit different as well. “During every game, players can earn or lose points by performing as individuals and winning as a team. Every moment counts as athletes aim to climb the leaderboard to earn bonuses and become Champion.”

The list of draftees included 14 eligible seniors who were selected as members of the 2023 Softball College Draft Class.

Player School Position
Sydney McKinney Wichita State Middle Infielder
Megan Faraimo UCLA Pitcher
Kayla Kowalik Kentucky Catcher
Montana Fouts Alabama Pitcher
Kathryn Sandercock Florida State Pitcher
Baylee Klinger Washington Corner Infielder
Chenise Delce Arkansas Pitcher
Kiley Naomi Oklahoma State Middle Infielder
Alex Storako Oklahoma Pitcher
Yannira Acuna Arizona State Outfielder
Charla Echols Florida Corner Infielder
Haley Lee Oklahoma Corner Infielder
Jordyn Rudd Northwestern Catcher
Rachel Becker Oklahoma State Middle Infielder

The replay of the draft is here:

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Athletes Unlimited partners with Topps to offer first-of-its-kind cards

The 200-card base set features 185 athletes featuring all four Athletes Unlimited sports.

Athletes Unlimited has done it again, putting fans and players at the center of what it does. On Friday, Athletes Unlimited released, in collaboration with Topps, trading cards “featuring all four Athletes Unlimited sports (basketball, softball, lacrosse and volleyball) combined in one set.”

The 200-card base set features 185 athletes and is available at all Target and Barnes & Noble retail locations, Hobby Shops and via Topps and Fanatics. Topps has been a partner of Athletes Unlimited since its inception in 2020.

“Topps has been an incredible partner and supporter of Athletes Unlimited from the very beginning, showcasing the greatest female athletes in the world and providing our fans with an opportunity to own a piece of history,” said Jon Patricof, CEO and co-founder of Athletes Unlimited. “This new set featuring all four of our sports together marks an important milestone in our shared journey, and we are thrilled to see major retailers feature Athletes Unlimited on their shelves.”

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Basketball fans can get their hands on the cards of their favorite players. There are relic cards, limited versions, autographed cards and themed sets that include: Being Unlimited, Record Breakers and the RARE Topps Black Gold cards, which are limited to only 250 copies per featured athlete.

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3 WNBA players to follow on social media and the brands that should sponsor them

These players should have a myriad of sponsorship deals, why don’t more brands understand the value of these players?

The 2023 WNBA draft is April 10 and while some of the brightest names in women’s basketball are set to take the stage, there are numerous WNBA players that you should know.

While many NIL dollars are being spent on collegiate athletes, less are being spent on women’s professional athletes. Players like Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud recently opined why she doesn’t have a sponsorship with a pet brand. PetSmart recently did an NIL deal with Arkansas football player Trey Knox and his dog, Blue. Cloud has double the following on Twitter as Knox, but no pet brands have a sponsorship with Cloud. Other WNBA players in particular have wondered why brands aren’t pushing their advertising dollars into the professional women’s basketball world. WNBA players are great brand partners and have a fanbase that hangs on their every word.

While platforms like Parity focus on solely connecting elite female athletes with brands that match their mission, the percentage of sponsorships of female athletes is still much smaller than their male counterparts.

Due to this disparity, I founded Your Potential for Everything to help women and the underrepresented in sports gain clarity, confidence and grow their brands. With this experience in mind, I will highlight WNBA athletes and pair them with suggested brands based on their background and online presence. Whether you are a fan, brand or athlete, get to know the featured athletes below and recognize that athletes are humans First.

Let us know if you think these brands match the athlete and what other athletes we should highlight.

6 collegiate volleyball players drafted to professional league in the U.S.

See which of your favorite women’s volleyball players went pro with Athletes Unlimited.

The Athletes Unlimited volleyball draft took place on March 20 and six athletes were drafted to the league to participate in Season 3. The volleyball season is set to start in October at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona.

Prior to the season, the players will go on tour from March 25, 2023 to April 21, 2023 making various stops across the United States to play collegiate programs. Some of these new draftees will play for the first time at their alma maters, in a different jersey.

While the talent is deep in collegiate women’s volleyball, the opportunities for these players to play domestically was slim, until Athletes Unlimited came along. The league has 44 roster spots for professional volleyball players and the league pays these athletes well.

For the five-week season, athletes receive a minimum of $10,000 USD with the possibility to make more the better they play and the higher they rank on the leaderboard.

Odyssey Sims lands bronze in 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball championship

“I’m still really good at basketball. I think some people think I fell off but I haven’t. AU speaks volumes so I just let my game talk. Everything else will show for itself,” Sims told Savanna Collins – Digital Media Reporter at Athletes Unlimited.

Athletes Unlimited gives athletes the ability to shine on and off their field of play. WNBA free agent and veteran Athletes Unlimited basketball player Odyssey Sims understands that life is a balance, and she is balancing her personal and professional life with seeming ease.

Sims just finished her second season with Athletes Unlimited and took home the bronze medal. Athletes in this league earn points based not only on buckets, but also on great performances, steals, assists and more. Athletes can also lose points for mistakes on the court. The totals Sims racked up this year are impressive, which landed her in third place on the leader board at the end of the season.

She totaled 6,383 points and led the league in assists (106), minutes played (560), points scored (392) and free throws made (89). She became the first player in Athletes Unlimited basketball history to score 700 career points and was the first Athletes Unlimited basketball player to serve as a captain in all five weeks during a season.

She finished with an 8-7 record as captain this season.

“I’m still really good at basketball. I think some people think I fell off but I haven’t,” Sims told Athletes Unlimited digital media reporter Savanna Collins. “AU speaks volumes so I just let my game talk. Everything else will show for itself.”

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Naz Hillmon wins silver in 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball championship

The overall champions were crowned and All-American Michigan college basketball standout and current WNBA player Naz Hillmon took home the silver.

While the scoring system for Athletes Unlimited Basketball is slightly different than traditional systems, the excitement and passion is on another level. The players are excited to play, with smiles and laughter filling practices and games.

The second season of Athletes Unlimited Basketball took place in Dallas, Texas, and consisted of five weeks of play. The overall champions were crowned, and Naz Hillmon, a former All-American who plays in the WNBA, took home the silver.

Hillmon played college basketball at Michigan and was the women’s program’s first All-American. She was the first Michigan basketball player – male or female – to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. Hillmon recorded a double-double in the team’s four games in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, finishing her career with 52 overall.

She was drafted 15th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2022 WNBA draft and started in 12 of 24 games played in her first season. Before the start of the 2023 WNBA season, Hillmon joined Athletes Unlimited for its second season of play and she turned heads.

Each week of Athletes Unlimited, new captains are picked based on the unique scoring system. Hillmon was in the captain’s chair 12 times and holds an 8-4 record at the helm of her teams.

Hillmon is the winningest captain and medalist of the 2023 season with 3,300 win points acquired from quarters (33) and games (11). Hillmon also was voted MVP honors nine times.

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NaLyssa Smith crowned 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball champion

Smith set Athletes Unlimited records left and right, including the points in a single game and the most rebounds in a season.

Athletes Unlimited is a new kind of sports league in which the athletes are the epicenter of all decisions. Within that frame of reference, the league crowns individual champions for the season.

At the end of Season 2 of Athletes Unlimited basketball, NaLyssa Smith was crowned the champion and earned the top spot on the athlete leaderboard. This was her first season in Athletes Unlimited, although she is not new to the professional basketball world.

Smith plays for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.

Smith set Athletes Unlimited records for points in a single game (50), most rebounds in a season (184), most double-doubles in a season (12) and most leader-board points in a single game (863). She ranked second in free throws made (86) and points scored (363) and finished the season with 6,811 points on the leaderboard.

“Every team I was on, they were so supportive of me,” Smith said. “They helped me achieve every goal I wanted this year. … I’ve been in second in everything. … Just winning this, it means everything. It feels great. I’m enjoying this moment. I worked so hard for this. I put in so much.”

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