Athletes Unlimited

Last updated

Athletes Unlimited
Athletes unlimited logo.png
Founded2020
Founder
Official website auprosports.com

Athletes Unlimited (also known by its abbreviation AU) is a women's professional sports organisation that organizes and administers competitions in the sports of basketball, lacrosse, softball, and volleyball in the United States. It was founded in 2020 by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros. Athletes Unlimited leagues employ formats in which individual players are crowned champions, with the exception of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which has traditional teams.

Contents

History

Athletes Unlimited was founded by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros in 2020. [1]

Format

There are no team owners, and league investors are capping their returns. Athletes share in the league profits, and are involved in the daily decision making. [2] Players are not committed to one team but switch teams every week of the season through a draft. [3] The top four players who earned the most points each week become captains for the next week and form new teams. [4] Players earn points based on both their team and individual performances, and are ranked accordingly. The champion is the player with the most points at the end of the season. [5] [6]

Leagues

Basketball

Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball
Sport Women's basketball
First season2022
Most recent
champion(s)
Allisha Gray
(2024)

The first season of Athletes Unlimited's women's basketball league featured 44 players competing in a five-week season from January 26 to February 26, 2022, and took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. [7] The second season was played in Dallas, Texas and ran from February 22 to March 26, 2023. [8]

AU Pro Basketball champions
YearChampionPointsRef
2022 Tianna Hawkins 6,831
2023 NaLyssa Smith 6,811
2024 Allisha Gray 6,918

Lacrosse

Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse
Sport Women's lacrosse
First season2021
Broadcaster
Most recent
champion(s)
Taylor Moreno
(2024)

On October 20, 2020, Athletes Unlimited announced that they would be adding women's lacrosse as its third league. Michelle DeJulius, who had founded and was the CEO of the now defunct Women's Professional Lacrosse League was named the Senior Director of Lacrosse. [9] Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse features a "short-form, fast-paced" format. It is played 10-a-side rather than 12-a-side. The field length is shorted to 90 yards as opposed to the traditional 110 yards. The field width remains at 60 yards. There is a 60-second shot clock, and layers can score two-point goals by scoring goals from outside of an 8-meter perimeter. The games are also 10-minute quarters. [9] [10] [11] [12] The game has also been described as more physical, with less fouls called compared to other levels of the game. There are also no shooting space calls (shooting space being a penalty where a defender cannot stand between the goal and a player looking to shoot unless actively guarding another player). [10] [12]

The inaugural 2021 season took place from July 19 to August 22 in Boyds, Maryland at Maureen Hendricks Field. [13] The 2022 season took place from July 21 to August 14 at William G. Tierney Field in Baltimore, Maryland, [14] [15] and returned there for the 2023 season from July 20 to August 13. [16] Goalie Taylor Moreno became the first player to win two Athletes Unlimited championships. [17] [18]

AU Pro Lacrosse champions
YearChampionPointsRef
2021Taylor Cummings1,943 [19]
2022Taylor Moreno1,798 [20]
2023Taylor Moreno1,679 [17]
2024Taylor Moreno1,314

Softball

All-Star Cup

AUSL All-Star Cup
Sport Fastpitch softball
First season2020
Broadcaster ESPN
Most recent
champion(s)
Amanda Lorenz
(2024)

Formerly known as Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, its inaugural season was played in Rosemont, Illinois from August 20 to September 28, 2020. Two games were played each Saturday, Sunday, and Monday over the five week period, 30 games all together (15 per player). The top four players were named the medalists and Haylie McCleney was named the Defensive Player of the Year. [21]

AUSL All-Star Cup champions
YearChampionPointsRef
2020 Cat Osterman 2,408 [21]
2021 Aleshia Ocasio 2,096 [22]
2022 Dejah Mulipola 1,782 [23]
2023 Odicci Alexander 1,994 [24]
2024 Amanda Lorenz 1,800 [25]

Athletes Unlimited Softball League

Athletes Unlimited Softball League
Athletes Unlimited Softball League.svg
Sport Fastpitch softball
First season2025 (planned)
No. of teams4 (planned)
Broadcaster ESPN

On June 4, 2024, Athletes Unlimited announced the plan to launch the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) in May 2025. The AUSL will feature four teams playing a 30-game season in a traditional format, complementing the existing AU Pro Softball Championship season. [26] ESPN has signed on as a founding broadcast partner. [27] The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be touring with games in six to eight different cities. [28] The average salary for a player will be $40,000–45,000, with salaries up to $75,000 achievable through bonus payments. [29] [30]

AUSL teams
TeamsBanditsBlazeTalonsVolts
General manager Jenny Dalton-Hill Dana Sorensen Lisa Fernandez Cat Osterman
Head coach Stacey Nuveman-Deniz Alisa GolerHoward Dobson Kelly Kretschman

AUX Softball

AUX Softball
Sport Fastpitch softball
First season2022
Most recent
champion(s)
Bubba Nickles
(2024)

On December 21, 2021, Athletes Unlimited Softball announced a new two-week competition titled AUX Softball. The competition will provide more playing opportunities and compensation to athletes. The inaugural competition featured 42 athletes playing 18 games and took place from June 13 to 26, 2022, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Title IX on June 23. [31] Danielle O'Toole won the inaugural AUX softball competition with 1,436 points. [32] Rachel Garcia won the 2023 AUX competition with 1,392 points. [33] Bubba Nickles won the 2024 AUX competition with 1,344 points. [34]

AUX Softball champions
YearChampionPointsRef
2022 Danielle O'Toole 1,436 [32]
2023 Rachel Garcia 1,392 [33]
2024 Bubba Nickles 1,344 [34]

Volleyball

Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball
Sport Volleyball
First season2021
Broadcaster
Most recent
champion(s)
Brittany Abercrombie
(2024)

Athletes Unlimited established an indoor volleyball league in 2021. [35] [36]

AU Pro Volleyball champions
YearChampionPointsRef
2021 Jordan Larson 4,569
2022 Bethania de la Cruz4,652
2023Leah Edmond4,313
2024Brittany Abercrombie4,521

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References

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