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.”
However, contracts are nowhere near those available at the international level, with the 2022 AU base salary starting at $20,000 for five weeks and the winner walking away with approximately $50,000, per Forbes. Despite AU not being the cash cow international play is, the condensed competition does allow players to stay closer to their W markets and introduce—or reintroduce—themselves to a distinct fan base.
In a uniquely designed format, AU players will compete for points—which can be accumulated through individual stats, wins and MVP honors. Those with the largest tallies at the end of each week will serve as captains, with the top four points scorers selecting their teams for the upcoming slate of games. Only one player will be crowned AU champion, with the athlete atop the leaderboard at the end of the five weeks crowned the winner. The ephemeral setup adds an exciting dynamic to the league, as fans get to watch some of their favorite players swap squads each week.
The 44-player roster features some of basketball’s biggest names, including WNBA stars Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, Lexie Brown, Allisha Gray and Clarendon. Cloud, Odyssey Sims, DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Williams will serve as the captains for Week 1, drafting their teams Sunday—which you can catch on AU’s YouTube channel starting at 12 p.m. ET. Last year’s winner, Tianna Hawkins, will not be back in action this season, but fellow top-four finishers Cloud, Harrison and Brown all return for their second run, hoping to claim top honors this go around.
AU is expanding its reach this season, as well, with WNBA League Pass streaming 25 of the AU’s 30 contests, while CBS Sports Network will broadcast five games. “With a number of WNBA players set to star in AU’s upcoming season, and with an additional group of talented, young players on AU rosters looking to make their mark, WNBA League Pass provides a terrific platform to further showcase these players and women’s basketball and a great lead-up to the upcoming 2023 WNBA season,” said WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison.
Tip-off for the 2023 season is set for Feb. 23, with Team Carrington vs. Team Sims kicking things off at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Team Cloud vs. Team Williams at 8:30 p.m. ET—both airing on WNBA League Pass.
