WNBA Players Explore New Opportunities This Offseason

This offseason, a notable group of 48 WNBA players are heading into a professional 3-on-3 basketball league, an initiative co-founded by Nafisa Collier and Breanna Stewart last year. Of course, many athletes will also venture overseas, which has become a routine for offseason basketball.

But there’s a third avenue available. It’s called Athlete Unlimited (AU). Situated in Nashville, this league runs for a month, featuring 40 women basketball players engaging in traditional 5-on-5 games three times weekly.

While the format might resemble regular team basketball, there’s a significant twist in the scoring system. Points are awarded based on both individual and team performances, ultimately leading to one athlete being crowned the overall champion.

Athletes Unlimited has already confirmed that five rookies from the WNBA will participate in the upcoming season.

Among them is NYE, who was selected 13th overall and averaged 3.8 points in 15.3 minutes per game, making an appearance in all 44 games for the ACES.

Then there’s Paopao, drafted 18th, who managed to average 5.8 points and 2.4 assists in 16.7 minutes per game.

Hall was picked 20th by the Fever, seeing limited time on the court but enjoying brief stints with both the Heat and Valkyries. She’s currently on the Fever’s playoff roster.

Chen, the 30th pick by the Valkyries, saw an early exit from the season but was later re-signed by Golden State, playing in 24 games and finishing with the Bay through the postseason.

Lastly, Moreau, drafted 7th by the Sun, made a strong impact, averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game. She participated in 41 games for Connecticut, starting over half of them (23), and has quickly become recognized as one of the league’s leading rebounders.

Additionally, the league indicates that more announcements regarding other players will be forthcoming, even though specifics are still under wraps.

Last year, Maddie Siegrist from the Dallas Wings emerged as a standout, earning the title of league champion, while Odyssey Sims of the Indiana Fever secured the runner-up spot. Numerous WNBA players took part, including Ty Harris from the Wings and Bria Hartley from the Sun.

Athletes Unlimited is set to showcase its talents at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in February.