Athletes Unlimited finds new host in Nashville

“The city of Nashville has been so enthusiastic and welcoming to us, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball to Music City,” Megan Perry, director of basketball for Athletes Unlimited, said in a press release. “Tennessee has long been a hotbed for women’s basketball as the home of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and its rich history at the collegiate level. We’re excited to bring a roster full of elite professional talent on the court and on the sidelines back to fans in the region.”

Of last year’s 40 AU Pro Basketball players, 29 had WNBA experience; 18 of those were on active rosters during the W’s prior season, including Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray — AU’s eventual 2024 champion — as well as Las Vegas Aces guard Sydney Colson and the Phoenix Mercury’s Natasha Cloud. 

This year’s roster and schedule have yet to be released, but broadcast rights to the winter basketball season remain with ESPN. AU signed a multi-year renewal with the broadcast giant earlier this year for all four of it’s sports (the other three being women’s professional volleyball, softball and lacrosse) that saw ESPN add AU basketball to its portfolio. Last season, two dozen AU hoops games aired live on ESPN platforms as part of the pact, with another six available on ESPN+.

With skyrocketing viewership of WNBA games across ESPN’s networks this season, there may be a jump in those numbers for the coming AU basketball campaign as the worldwide leader looks to capitalize on the sport’s current momentum.

At the same time, this winter will also mark the debut of a new domestic 3×3 league, Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The upstart league promises six-figure salaries for eight weeks of competition and equity stakes to participants. This is sufficient to already entice number of notable WNBA players including Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, Las Vegas Aces stars Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum, as well as Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Kahleah Copper, all of whom have already signed with the rival offseason option. 

When AU Pro Basketball debuted in 2022, it did so as the first and only domestic offseason option for professional players.

With slots for only 30 players on Unrivaled teams and another 40 available with AU, there may yet be room for both leagues to thrive this winter while the WNBA — currently the home of 144 active players — is dark, especially given the growing global interest in the game. There are also a host of other talented professional players competing abroad that have returned stateside to compete in the Athletes Unlimited winter campaign in years prior.

“It’s inspiring to see how women’s sports has captured the nation’s attention, from the college basketball tournament in the spring, the popularity of the ongoing WNBA season, and through the Olympic Games this summer,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in the release. “Having the athletes driving the AU Pro Basketball season at Municipal Auditorium is an exciting opportunity to showcase WNBA-level experience and talent in Nashville.”

Municipal Auditorium, home of this winter’s AU Pro Basketball season, has previously hosted women’s gymnastics, women’s bodybuilding and cheerleading competitions but is making its first foray into basketball with AU.

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.