Kristian Ferrell
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a women's professional sports organization that organizes competitions in basketball, softball, and volleyball, and formerly lacrosse. Founded in 2020, AU is unique in that there are no team owners, and athletes share in the league profits and are involved in daily decision-making. AU Pro Basketball, featuring some of the world's top women's basketball talent, is played annually during winter. The first season took place in 2022 in Las Vegas, and the most recent edition was held in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring 40 players competing in 25 games.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding | Founded in 2020 by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros |
| Sports | Basketball, softball, volleyball, and formerly lacrosse |
| Format | Individual players are crowned champions, except in softball |
| Team structure | No team owners, league investors cap returns, athletes share profits and are involved in decision-making, players switch teams weekly |
| Player selection | 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players, selected by invitation only |
| Scoring | Points earned based on team and individual performance |
| Season timing | Annual winter season |
| Past locations | Las Vegas, Dallas, Nashville |
| Past winners | Maddy Siegrist, Goalie Taylor Moreno (twice) |
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What You'll Learn
- Athletes Unlimited is a women's professional sports organisation
- Competitions are organised in basketball, softball, volleyball and lacrosse
- There are no team owners, and athletes share profits and decision-making
- Athletes are ranked based on team and individual performances
- The inaugural season was in 2021, and it has been annual since
Athletes Unlimited is a women's professional sports organisation
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a women's professional sports organisation based in the United States. It was founded in 2020 by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros. AU organises competitions in basketball, softball, and volleyball, and formerly included lacrosse. The organisation is unique in its structure, with no team owners and athletes sharing league profits and taking part in daily decision-making.
AU's basketball league, Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, features 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players. The selection process is by invitation only, with players chosen by the AU Pro Basketball Player Executive Committee. The league format is designed to crown individual players as champions, with players earning points based on their team and individual performances. The player with the most points at the end of the season is the champion.
The first season of AU Pro Basketball was held in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring 44 players competing in a five-week season. The second season was played in Dallas, Texas, in 2023, and the league's third edition was held in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2025, featuring 25 games. AU Pro Basketball has showcased the talents of world-class women's basketball players and has been well-received by fans and athletes alike.
In addition to basketball, AU's softball league has gained popularity. The inaugural Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX season was played in 2020, with Haylie McCleney named the Defensive Player of the Year. AU also organises a volleyball league, featuring 44 of the best women's volleyball players globally, and previously organised an annual pro lacrosse league from 2021 to 2024. AU's lacrosse operations were suspended after the 2024 season due to the availability of elite athletes during the summer months.
AU's innovative approach to professional sports leagues has made it a unique and exciting organisation in the world of women's sports. With its focus on athlete empowerment and profit-sharing, AU is helping to elevate women's sports and provide a platform for some of the most talented athletes in the world.
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Competitions are organised in basketball, softball, volleyball and lacrosse
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a US-based women's professional sports organisation that organises competitions in basketball, softball, volleyball, and
AU Pro Basketball is played annually during winter and features 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players. The first season, featuring 44 players, was held in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The second season was played in Dallas, Texas, and the 2025 edition took place in Nashville, Tennessee, with Maddy Siegrist setting an all-time record of 7,052 points.
The AU Pro Softball AUX, or the "AUX", is a two-week competition that precedes the main Softball League. The inaugural season was played from August to September 2020, with 42 athletes competing in 30 games. Danielle O'Toole won the inaugural AUX competition with 1,436 points. The Softball League, formerly known as Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball, is played annually at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois, during the summer.
AU Pro Volleyball is played annually during the fall and features 44 of the world's best women's volleyball players. The inaugural season was held in 2021. The AU Pro Volleyball Championship Series is a notable event in this sport.
AU Pro Lacrosse was played annually during the summer from 2021 to 2024. It featured a "short-form, fast-paced" 10-a-side format with modified field dimensions and rules. Michelle DeJulius, the founder and former CEO of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League, served as the Senior Director of Lacrosse. After the 2024 season, AU suspended its lacrosse operations, citing the availability of elite athletes during the summer months as a concern.
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There are no team owners, and athletes share profits and decision-making
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a unique women's professional sports organization that organises competitions in basketball, softball, volleyball, and formerly lacrosse. One of the most distinctive aspects of AU is its governance structure: there are no team owners, and athletes share profits and decision-making responsibilities.
This structure empowers athletes and ensures they have a direct say in the league's operations. AU athletes are not committed to a single team and instead switch teams every week of the season through a draft. This format encourages collaboration and a sense of shared ownership among the athletes.
In the absence of team owners, league investors have capped their returns. This profit-sharing model ensures that the athletes benefit financially from the league's success. AU athletes are also involved in daily decision-making, giving them a voice in the league's strategic direction and operational details.
The selection process for AU Pro Basketball involves inviting 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players to participate. These athletes are selected by AU in collaboration with the Player Executive Committee for basketball. The selection criteria may vary, and AU has a non-discrimination policy based on race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy status, and parental status.
AU Pro Basketball has gained popularity since its inaugural season in 2021, attracting world-class women's basketball talent. The competition is held annually during winter, with recent editions taking place in Nashville, Dallas, and Las Vegas. AU has brought excitement to basketball fans and provided a platform for the world's top female athletes to showcase their skills and share in the league's success, both on and off the court.
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Athletes are ranked based on team and individual performances
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a women's professional sports organisation based in the United States. It organises competitions in basketball, softball, volleyball, and formerly lacrosse. Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is played annually during winter and features 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players.
Athletes Unlimited employs a unique format where individual players are crowned champions. 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.
Team captains are selected based on a new process introduced in 2025 to increase the opportunity for players to serve as captains. In the first week, captains are randomly selected from returning players with AU system experience. In the second and third weeks, captains are determined by the top four point-earners on the weekly leaderboard. In the final week, captains are the top four point-earners from the season leaderboard.
Players can accumulate points for both individual and team performances. Win points are based on team performance and are awarded for both individual quarter wins and overall game wins. Each quarter is worth +50 or +60 points, and overall games are worth +100 or +180 points. If a quarter is tied, the points roll over to the subsequent quarter.
Players also earn points based on individual statistics and performance. For example, six Made 2-pointers results in +120 points, and two Made 3-pointers results in +60 points. Players can also lose points for certain actions, such as committing fouls, turning over the ball, or missing a shot.
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The inaugural season was in 2021, and it has been annual since
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a women's professional sports organisation based in the United States. It was founded in 2020 and organises competitions in basketball, softball, volleyball, and formerly lacrosse. Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is played annually during winter.
The inaugural Athletes Unlimited Basketball season was in 2021, and it has been annual since. The 2021 season took place from July 19 to August 22 in Boyds, Maryland, at Maureen Hendricks Field. The second season was held in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 21 to August 14, 2022. Baltimore also hosted the third season, which ran from July 20 to August 13, 2023.
The competition features 40 of the world's top professional women's basketball players. Athletes are selected by invitation only, with the Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Player Executive Committee or a league representative contacting players between May and November before the upcoming season.
The 2025 edition was held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, from February 5 to March 2. It was the fourth season of Athletes Unlimited Basketball and featured 25 games, with ten livestreamed on ESPN+ and 14 on the FanDuel Sports Network and the WNBA's mobile app.
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Frequently asked questions
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a women's professional sports organisation based in the United States that organises competitions in basketball, softball, volleyball and formerly lacrosse.
Athletes Unlimited employs a format in which individual players are crowned champions, except in softball, which has traditional teams. There are no team owners, and league investors cap their returns. Athletes share in the league profits and are involved in the daily decision-making. Players are not committed to one team but switch teams weekly during the season through a draft.
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.
The top four players who earned the most points each week become captains for the next week and form new teams.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is played annually during winter. Its first season was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Subsequent seasons have been played in Dallas, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, and Boyds and Baltimore, Maryland.
