Ariel Atkins

Last updated
Ariel Atkins
Ariel Atkins 3 Fenerbahce WB 20241002 (cropped).jpg
Atkins with the Fenerbahçe in 2024
No. 3–Chicago Sky
Position Shooting guard
League Women's National Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1996-07-30) July 30, 1996 (age 28)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight167 lb (76 kg)
Career information
High school Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)
College Texas (2014–2018)
WNBA draft 2018: 1st round, 7th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Mystics
Playing career2018–present
Coaching career2023–present
Career history
As player:
2018–2024 Washington Mystics
2018–2019InvestInTheWest ENEA Gorzów
2019–2020 Perth Lynx
2020 Elazığ İl Özel İdarespor
2021–2022BC Prometey
2024–2025 Fenerbahçe
2025–present Rose BC
2025–present Chicago Sky
As coach:
2023–2024 Michigan (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Tokyo Team
World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Australia

Ariel Atkins (born July 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Rose BC of Unrivaled for the off season. In addition to her playing career, she served as a player development coach at the University of Michigan during the 2023–2024 off-season. [1] [2]

Contents

Drafted 7th overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2018 WNBA draft, Atkins quickly established herself as a key player. She helped lead the Mystics to the WNBA Finals in her debut season and was a pivotal figure in their 2019 WNBA Championship victory. Atkins' defensive prowess earned her 4 selections to the WNBA All-Defensive Team so far in her career.

In 2021, Atkins won her first Olympic Gold medal with Team USA at the 2020 summer Olympics.

College career

Born in Dallas, Texas, Atkins attended Duncanville in Duncanville, Texas. She played college basketball at the University of Texas, where she was recognized for her athletic performance.

Professional career

WNBA

Washington Mystics (2018–2024)

At the 2018 WNBA draft, Atkins was drafted by the Washington Mystics in the first round, as the seventh overall pick. [3] Atkins would join a Mystics line-up alongside players such as Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver & Natasha Cloud. In August 2018, Atkins was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in her debut season. [4] Later in September 2018, Atkins was also named to the All-Rookie Team. [5]

On October 10, 2019, Atkins and the Mystics took home their first WNBA Championship after defeating the Connecticut Sun, 3–2. [6] In September 2020, Atkins was named to the All-Defensive Second Team for the third time in her three career seasons. [7]

In August 2023, Atkins signed a multi-year extension to stay in Washington with the Mystics. [8]

Chicago Sky (2025–present)

On February 23, 2025, Atkins was traded to the Chicago Sky in exchange for the 2025 third overall pick, the 2027 second-round pick, and the rights to swap 2027 first-round picks. [9] [10]

International

Atkins has also played internationally. She spent the 2018–19 season with InvestInTheWest ENEA Gorzów Wielkopolski in Poland and played for the Perth Lynx in Australia during the 2019–20 off-season.

Unrivaled

On February 21, 2025, Unrivaled signed Atkins to a relief player contract. [11]

National team career

2020 Olympics

In late March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government postponed the 2020 Summer Olympics until the summer of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [12] On June 21, 2021, Atkins was named to the 12-player roster for Team USA for the 2020 summer Olympics. [13] She and Team USA went on to win the gold medal in the tournament, defeating Japan 90–75 in the final. [14]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader
†Denotes season(s) in which Atkins won a WNBA championship

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 regular season

WNBA regular season statistics [15]
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2018 Washington 292422.5.432.357.8242.42.11.30.31.311.3
2019 † Washington 333324.3.416.357.8112.81.91.50.51.010.3
2020 Washington 222231.0.438.411.8862.92.41.80.31.914.8
2021 Washington 303030.6.407.359.8312.82.61.60.52.016.2
2022 Washington 363630.0.420.365.8453.32.31.40.31.414.6
2023 Washington 272725.1.414.339.8973.12.31.20.31.311.5
2024 Washington 404029.9.437.357.8483.43.11.50.42.314.9
Career7 years, 1 team21721227.7.423.362.8493.02.41.40.41.613.4
All-Star2015.8.444.333—2.52.50.50.00.55.0

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2018 Washington 9927.9.480.424.8793.71.91.10.10.815.2
2019 † Washington 9919.8.373.333.9292.72.30.80.01.27.3
2020 Washington 1136.0.375.0001.0004.04.02.00.00.013.0
2022 Washington 2233.0.379.5001.0001.55.50.50.01.015.5
2023 Washington 2233.5.345.2501.0005.53.02.0°1.51.513.5
Career5 years, 1 team232326.0.416.371.9073.32.61.10.21.011.9

College

NCAA statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2014–15 Texas 271923.9.363.288.8253.41.31.20.22.29.7
2015–16 Texas 271421.0.536.356.8193.91.31.30.21.411.2
2016–17 Texas 323226.6.456.377.8184.21.62.00.31.412.8
2017–18 Texas 353527.7.534.420.8595.53.22.50.62.014.9
Career12110025.1.475.373.8314.31.91.80.41.712.4

Off the court

Philanthropy

In February 2024, Atkins joined the WNBA Changemakers Collective and their collaboration with VOICEINSPORT (VIS) as a mentor, "aimed at keeping girls in sport and developing diverse leaders on the court and beyond the game." [16] [17]

References

  1. ↑ "Ariel Atkins joins Michigan women's basketball staff". Slam Hoops.
  2. ↑ Hatfield, Jenn (2024-05-04). "How coaching at Michigan is helping Ariel Atkins lead the Mystics". The Next. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  3. ↑ "MYSTICS SELECT ATKINS IN 2018 WNBA DRAFT". mystics.wnba.com.
  4. ↑ "Defensive POY Alana Beard Leads 2018 All-Defensive First Team". wnba.com.
  5. ↑ "Diamond DeShields, A'ja Wilson Headline 2018 WNBA All-Rookie Team". wnba.com.
  6. ↑ "Bringing It Home: Delle Donne, Mystics Earn First WNBA Crown". wnba.com.
  7. ↑ "Two Atlanta Dream Players And Seattle Storm's Alysha Clark Headline 2020 WNBA All-Defensive Team". wnba.com.
  8. ↑ "Ariel Atkins Signs Multi-Year Extension". mystics.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "WNBA free agency and trade tracker 2025: Deals, news, moves". ESPN. Retrieved 24 February 2025. 7:20 p.m. ET: The Washington Mystics traded two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky in exchange for the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. The Mystics also received the rights to swap 2027 first-round picks with Chicago as well as the Sky's 2027 second-round pick.
  10. ↑ "Chicago Sky Acquire WNBA Champion, All-Star, Olympian Ariel Atkins from Washington". sky.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  11. ↑ Dalzell, Noa (February 21, 2025). "Unrivaled signs another surprise WNBA player in the wake of injuries". SB Nation. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  12. ↑ "IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Announce New Dates for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020". Olympic.org. March 30, 2020.
  13. ↑ Wimbish, Jasmyn (June 21, 2021). "Team USA women's basketball roster announced for 2020 Olympics, headlined by Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi". CBS Sports . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  14. ↑ Wallace, Ava (August 8, 2021). "Dawn Staley and Sue Bird make sure their final USA Basketball moment is golden". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ariel Atkins WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  16. ↑ "WNBA and the WNBA Changemakers Collective Team Up with Digital Community Platform VOICEINSPORT to Keep Girls in the Game". WNBA. February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ Ayala, Erica (February 7, 2024). "Nneka Ogwumike, Aliyah Boston among 12 players to participate in WNBA's girls in sports mentorship program". CBS Sports . Retrieved February 1, 2025.
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