The world-class roster for season four of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball continues to take shape, with three-time WNBA champion Alysha Clark, Jordan Horston, Kia Nurse, Bria Hartley, and Victaria Saxton among the latest top players to sign up to compete for the AU Pro Basketball championship in Nashville.
These players – along with previously announced standouts including Kierstan Bell, Lexie Brown, Sydney Colson, Isabelle Harrison, Dorie Harrison, Alissa Pili, and Maddie Siegrist – will be among 40 world-class competitors vying to be crowned individual champion in the 24-game campaign set to run from February 5 – March 2, 2025 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Single-game day tickets will go on sale at 11 a.m. CT.
The roster includes multiple players with Tennessee ties coming to Nashville, including: former Tennessee Lady Vols Jordan Horston, Isabelle Harrison, and Meighan Simmons; former Middle Tennessee State and Belmont star Alysha Clark and Nashville native and former Lipscomb University standout Dorie Harrison.
With a four-week competition promoting playoff-level intensity in every game, AU Pro Basketball is player-led and features world-class talent – during the 2024 season, 29 of the 40 players had WNBA experience – competing to be crowned individual champion. The rest of the 40-player roster, as well as broadcast information for the 2025 AU Pro Basketball season, will be announced at a later date.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball was the first winter pro women’s basketball league to launch in the United States when it began in 2022 and remains the only platform in the U.S. offering professional women the opportunity to play 5 v 5 full-court basketball outside of the WNBA. Innovative in its player-focused approach, AU Pro Basketball provides an ability for WNBA players to stay in the U.S. during the offseason while also providing playing opportunities for elite pro players not currently on WNBA rosters. Like other Athletes Unlimited leagues, AU Pro Basketball is led by a Player Executive Committee, and players have the opportunity to share in the long-term profits of the company. National broadcast and business partners for AU Pro Basketball include ESPN, Nike, and Gatorade.
“These latest player signings are further evidence that AU Pro Basketball is a home for both emerging and established talent,” said Megan Perry, Director of Basketball for Athletes Unlimited. “We continue to be energized by the enthusiastic embrace we have received from the city of Nashville, and look forward to bringing world-class women’s pro basketball to Music City.”
“I’m so excited to be playing back home in front of family and friends where it all started! Tennessee has such a rich women’s basketball culture and being part of AU in bringing a professional women’s league that the fans deserve to experience is also really special,” said Alysha Clark. “I’m also really looking forward to making an impact in the community, the same way I’ve been able to in all the cities I’ve played throughout my career.”
In all, 15 players have been announced for the upcoming AU Pro Basketball season, including:
Alysha Clark: three-time WNBA champion (2018 & 2020 with Seattle Storm, 2023 with Las Vegas Aces), WNBA Sixth Person of the Year in 2023 and former Belmont University and Middle Tennessee State standout.
Kia Nurse: five-year WNBA veteran and member of the Canadian Olympic team.
Jordan Horston: Tennessee Lady Vol (2019-2023), selected with 9th overall pick in 2023 WNBA Draft by Seattle Storm and made 2023 WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Meighan Simmons: Two-time SEC Player of the Year for Tennessee Lady Vols (2013 & 2014); nicknamed “Speedy” by legendary Tennessee Women’s Basketball coach Pat Summitt.
Kierstan Bell: two-time WNBA champion (2022 & 2023 with Las Vegas Aces).
Lexie Brown: 8.1 ppg for Los Angeles Sparks in 2024; 2021 WNBA champion with Chicago Sky; Chair of AU Pro Basketball Player Executive Committee.
Sydney Colson: two-time WNBA champion (2022 & 2023 with Las Vegas Aces) and NCAA champion (2011 with Texas A&M).
Alissa Pili: forward for 2024 WNBA runner-up Minnesota Lynx.
Isabelle Harrison: Nashville native is the final active WNBA player to have been coached by Tennessee legend Pat Summitt; finished third on the 2022 AU Pro Basketball leaderboard and was the league’s inaugural Defensive Player of the Year.
Dorie Harrison: A three-year letter winner at Nashville’s Lipscomb University after transferring from Kentucky following the 2018-19 season; made her AU Pro Basketball debut in 2024.
Maddy Siegrist: Forward for Dallas Wings in WNBA; was third overall selection in 2023 WNBA Draft out of Villanova.
Victaria Saxton: Forward for Indiana Fever in WNBA; 2022 NCAA champion with South Carolina.
Bria Hartley: WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2014; two-time NCAA champion (2013 & 2014 with UConn).
AU Pro Basketball features a range of scoring innovations to bring athletes and fans a unique and intense version of the sport while featuring a traditional full-court, five-on-five format. Individual athletes earn points based on both team wins and individual performance to become the champions in team sports. Points are earned on every play and the leaderboard changes constantly. In addition, teams change each week with the top four athletes in the standings serving as captains and drafting their teams. At the end of the four-week season, the player with the most points is crowned as the league’s individual champion.
Previous seasons of AU Pro Basketball took place in Las Vegas (2022) and Dallas (2023 & 2024). Guard Allisha Gray claimed the 2024 AU Pro Basketball title, joining forwards NaLyssa Smith (2023) and Tianna Hawkins (2022) as league champions.
AU Pro Basketball is part of Athletes Unlimited, which was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023 and features an Advisory Board comprised of an illustrious group of high-profile contributors from the worlds of sports, business, and entertainment including basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman of 35 Ventures; and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team superstar Abby Wambach, among many others.
