Courtney Williams, Tianna Hawkins, and Odyssey Sims are the latest to join the league that will compete this winter in Las Vegas.
Less than a month after announcing a new professional women’s basketball competition, Athletes Unlimited announced 10 new players to a league that will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 26 in Las Vegas.
Three of those players starred for the Atlanta Dream last season. Guard Courtney Williams led the team with 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, earning a 2021 WNBA All-Star spot. She’ll join forward Tianna Hawkins and one-time All-Star guard Odyssey Sims on the AU roster, along with veteran forward Jantel Lavender of the Indiana Fever and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, the No. 6 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft who most recently played for the Seattle Storm.
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Following a 13-year career that included an All-Star appearance and a WNBA championship, Essence Carson returns to pro basketball to join the Athletes Unlimited roster alongside Kirby Burkholder, Tyce Knox, Jessica Kuster, and Laurin Mincy. They join WNBA veterans and AU player executive committee members Natasha Cloud, Sydney Colson and Ty Young as confirmed players in this month-long competition.
“Since the launch of Athletes Unlimited Basketball less than a month ago, we’ve had tremendous interest in and excitement for the league. We are so excited to be adding these 10 talented players to our roster,” Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof said. “We know that Las Vegas has been a great home for women’s basketball and we only hope that we can add to and build on the momentum, success, and fandom already in place.”
The inaugural season will take place at Athletes Unlimited Arena at the Sport Center of Las Vegas, less than two miles from the Strip. Tickets will go on sale in December, with open tryouts taking place Dec. 11-12 in the Atlanta area.
Basketball is the fourth sport to receive its own AU league, joining softball, lacrosse, and volleyball.
