Familiar Faces Join Athletes Unlimited Basketball For Season 2 In Dallas

SportsMoney Familiar Faces Join Athletes Unlimited Basketball For Season 2 In Dallas Erica L. Ayala Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover women’s sports and the intersection of sports & society.

Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Oct 25, 2022, 09:22am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Minnesota Lynx guard Layshia Clarendon, right, celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul during . .

. [+] the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Lynx won 86-61.

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

After a successful inaugural season in Las Vegas, Athletes Unlimited is bringing women’s basketball to Dallas, Texas, this winter. The season will take place at the Fair Park Coliseum for five weeks beginning February 22 and concluding five days before the NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament flies into American Airlines Center on March 31. “We are thrilled to bring the excitement of Athletes Unlimited Basketball to our great fans in Dallas, which will truly be the epicenter of women’s basketball during that time with AU and the NCAA Final Fours happening so close together,” said Jon Patricof, CEO and Co-Founder of Athletes Unlimited in the press release .

“We are also proud to have the support of our partners at CBS Sports and Air National Guard in bringing our unique brand of basketball to fans,” Patricof added. CBS Sports is set to broadcast five of the 30 games live and will air a 30-minute special titled “Athletes Unlimited: A Pro Sports Revolution” Saturday, October 29 at 1:30 p. m.

ET on CBS. The Air National Guard is Athletes Unlimited’s newest partner beginning with women’s basketball. 2022 Season Recap MORE FOR YOU Livestream Shopping Stays Hot As Whatnot Valuation More Than Doubles To $3.

7 Billion Outstanding Free Agent Acquisitions Lead Philadelphia Phillies To The World Series What Companies Really Need To Know About Cybersecurity And IPOs Tianna Hawkins was crowned the first-ever AU Basketball champion after her team, Team Hawkins, defeated Team Cloud 116-111 in the triple-OT championship game. Hawkins posted 6,836 points using the “radical scoring system” developed by Athletes Unlimited. In basketball, players are awarded individual points for rebounds, steals, blocks, and made free throws.

Hawkins recorded a league-high 11 double-doubles and earned 500+ leaderboard points in seven games this season, the most by any player in the inaugural season. Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, and Lexie Brown earned top-four finishes. Dallas Wings’ Allisha Gray grabs a pass during a WNBA basketball game against the Phoenix Mercury, .

. . [+] Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Cloud, Brown, Sydney Colson, DiJonai Carrington, Courtney Williams, and Kelsey Mitchell are among the WNBA players returning for Season 2 of the Athletes Unlimited Basketball league. Other players with WNBA experience joing Athletes Unlimited include rookies Evina Westbrook, NaLyssa Smith , Dallas Wings guard and 3×3 Olympic gold medalist Allisha Gray, and former WNBPA executive board member Layshia Clarendon.

Finding the Joy I had the opportunity to speak with Layshia Clarendon, who uses all pronouns, ahead of the AU Basketball announcement about their return to the court. After a nine-year WNBA career, Clarendon found himself on the outside looking in just four games into the 2021 WNBA season after being released by the New York Liberty. MORE FROM FORBES WNBA’s Layshia Clarendon Shares Story Of Top Surgery As Team, Union, Commissioner Show Support By Brendon Kleen She found her way onto the Minnesota Lynx roster for the remainder of the 2021 season but was released the following year.

Now, the veteran finds herself a rookie in a new and innovative basketball model. “I’m very excited to play, domestically especially. I think that is what I’m so overjoyed about that the AU opportunity because when I didn’t play this summer, I really debated going overseas,” Clarendon told me.

Minnesota Lynx guard Layshia Clarendon (7) drives to the basket past Seattle Storm forward Breanna . . .

[+] Stewart (30) and guard Sue Bird (10) in the second quarter of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) Copyright {iptcyear} The Associated Press.

All rights reserved. With a young child at home, it is tough to make decisions that can benefit an athlete’s family and career. With this opportunity, Clarendon can remain in the United States and reconnect with the joy of the game as she prepares to play competitive basketball again.

“I had such an amazing year in 2021. So [I’m focused] on getting back out there and showing and proving that again that I’m that player, that I’m healthy, and to just really enjoy the game. I think free agency will unfold the way it’s meant to unfold.

I’m not holding on too tightly to that. I’m really trying to be in the moment and enjoy playing basketball,” Clarendon said. MORE FROM FORBES Athletes Unlimited Basketball Tips Off Inaugural Season In Las Vegas By Erica L.

Ayala However, that doesn’t mean Layshia isn’t going to try to make her game work for her regarding the innovative leaderboard. “I can’t lie, I have [thought] I gotta make sure I rebound because I am a rebounding guard,” Clarendon said. They have also started taking notes on inbound plays, just in case they are named one of the weekly leaders and thus have the chance to draft their team.

“How would I structure a practice if I’m one of the captains? What inbound plays would I put in? What have been my favorite plays that I’ve used throughout my years in the league? Those kinds of coaching aspects of it are really fascinating to me. ” Fans can begin purchasing tickets for the Athletes Unlimited Basketball season starting tomorrow. Athletes Unlimited Basketball 2023 Roster Antoinette Bannister G/F 5-10 Jacksonville, Fla.

East Carolina She/Her Kristi Bellock F 6-1 St. Rose, La. Texas A&M She/Her Lexie Brown G 5-9 Suwanee, Ga.

Duke Kirby Burkholder G 5-11 Bridgewater, Va. James Madison She/Her Jordin Canada G 5-6 Los Angeles, Calif. UCLA DiJonai Carrington F 6-0 San Diego, Calif.

Stanford Essence Carson G 6-1 Paterson, N. J. Rutgers Layshia Clarendon G 5-9 San Bernardino, Calif.

California They/Them Natasha Cloud G 6-0 Broomall, Pa. Saint Joseph’s Taj Cole G 5-9 Richmond, Va. Virginia Tech She/Her Sydney Colson G 5-8 Houston, Texas Texas A&M Drew Edelman F 6-4 Sunnyvale, Calif.

USC She/Her Allisha Gray G 6-0 Sandersville, Ga. South Carolina She/Her Rebecca Harris G 5-7 Belleville, Ill. Illinois She/Her Air Hearn G 5-8 Memphis, Tenn.

Memphis Naz Hillmon F 6-2 Cleveland, Ohio Michigan Meme Jackson G/F 5-11 Murfreesboro, Tenn. Tennessee N’dea Jones F 6-2 Lawrenceville, Ga. Texas A&M Whitney Knight G 6-3 Winston-Salem, N.

C. Florida Gulf Coast She/Her Jessica Kuster F 6-2 San Antonio, Texas Rice Akela Maize C 6-5 Greensboro, N. C.

NC State Danni McCray F 6-1 West Palm Beach, Fla. Ole Miss She/Her Laurin Mincy G 6-0 Newark, N. J.

Maryland Kelsey Mitchell G 5-8 Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio State Karis ma Penn F 6-2 Shaker Heights, Ohio Illinois She/Her Odyssey Sims G 5-8 Irving, Texas Baylor NaLyssa Smith F 6-4 Converse, Texas Baylor She/Her Destinee Walker G 5-9 Orlando, Fla. North Carolina Evina Westbrook G 6-0 Salem, Ore. UConn Courtney Williams G 5-8 Folkston, Ga.

USF Ty Young G/F 6-2 Wilmington, N. C. James Madison Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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