After a successful inaugural campaign, Athletes Unlimited Basketball is back for its second season. The player-centric competition kicks off Feb. 23 in Dallas, running for five weeks through March 25.
For many athletes, AU comes at precisely the right time—amid WNBA free agency and ahead of the preseason, which begins at the end of April. The league provides players an opportunity to get game fit at a critical time while fulfilling fans’ demand for basketball in an energizing precursor to the spring. This season fortuitously leads into the NCAA tournament—also being held in Dallas—in a savvy, synergic move.
Offseason competition has been a hot topic for the WNBA since its inception, with the league lacking a developmental equivalent to the NBA’s G League. WNBA players have consistently trekked overseas after the season to compete internationally, often earning salaries that eclipse their WNBA paychecks. Former WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart reportedly makes $1.5 million per season abroad, while the W supermax for 2023 stands at $234,936. For those who don’t want to, or can’t, make the overseas haul, Athletes Unlimited is a compelling alternative. “To stay domestically is a really big opportunity,” says Layshia Clarendon, who briefly considered playing abroad this year. “Heading into the W season, I think it’s [AU] uniquely positioned there.”
