AU Pro Basketball: Will Sims, Charles or Bell be the 2026 Champion?

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Athletes Unlimited four-week season flies by, as the finale already has arrived.

And, AU might be poised for the most thrilling finish to a season in the league’s five-season history, as five players are in striking distance of the top of the Leaderboard, giving any one of the a credible chance of being the 2026 AU Champion.

Odyssey Sims, an AU original who has played in the league all five seasons, begins Week 4 atop the Leaderboard, in prime position to claim her first crown. She is trailed by two newcomers in Rebekah Gardner and Tina Charles. Kierstan Bell, now a four-season AU veteran is next, followed by two more AU rookies in Kaitlyn Chen and Natasha Mack.

Here’s how AU arrived at Week 4, as well as what to expect from the season’s final week sprint.

Veteran-rookie duos drove wins for the Gold Rush, Rhythm in Week 3

Week 3 was the most competitive of the AU season. Not only did no team go undefeated, but every game but one was decided by single digits.

As expected due to her place at the top of the Leaderboard, Sims starred as the captain of Gold Rush, turning in two games in which she totaled more than 600 points. She was named MVP 1, scoring 18 points on 53.8 percent shooting and dishing six assists, as the Gold Rush defeated the Eclipse. The 620 points she racked up in that game were topped by the 682 she accumulated in the Gold Rush’s win over the Glow. In that one, Sims, named MVP 2, scored 28 points, tossed five assists and grabbed four boards.

Tina Charles turned in her best AU game yet, securing a 26-point and 10-rebound double-double and claiming MVP 2 honors as her Rhythm beat Sims’ Gold Rush, despite Sims dropping 30 points. Charles followed that up with 24 points and nine boards, plus four assists, collecting an MVP 1 and 638 points as the Rhythm edged the Eclipse.

Week 3, however, didn’t just belong to the wizened vets. Rookies Aneesah Morrow and Kaitlyn Chen, teammates’ of Sims and Charles, respectively, also had MVP-worthy performances. In the Rhythm’s aforementioned win over the Gold Rush, Chen ignited for 32 points on 63.2 percent shooting, adding five boards and two steals to her resume as she was named MVP 1. In that same game, Morrow did all she could to give the Gold Rush the advantage, with 25 points and seven boards.

Jaylyn Sherrod had her most complete week of her two-season AU career, leading the Glow in total points, while NaLyssa Smith was the most productive player for the Eclipse.

Named MVP 1, Sherrod’s 15 points on 60 percent shooting helped the Glow beat the Rhythm. While Smith’s 16-point and 15-rebound double-double was not enough for the Eclipse against the Gold Rush, her 17 points on 63.6 percent shooting earned her an MVP 3 when the Eclipse came out on top against the Glow.

Here are the full results from last week:

Glow 80, Rhythm 78

Gold Rush 95, Eclipse 88

Eclipse 89, Glow 83

Rhythm 103, Gold Rush 94

Rhythm 104, Eclipse 101

Gold Rush 84, Glow 71

Meet the AU teams for Week 4

Here’s how the Week 4 draft went, with each team’s roster listed in the order in which players were selected:

Gold Rush (Odyssey Sims): Kiah Stokes, Aneesah Morrow, Ariel Atkins, Te-Hina Paopao, Teana Muldrow, Lexie Brown, Asia Taylor, Bree Hall

Glow (Rebekah Gardner): Isabelle Harrison, Zia Cooke, Jacy Sheldon, Natasha Mack, Grace Berger, Kiara Leslie, Dorie Harrison, Bria Hartley, Rebecca Harris

Rhythm (Tina Charles): Alysha Clark, Mercedes Russell, Shey Peddy, Kia Nurse, Alissa Pili, Jaylyn Sherrod, Aerial Powers, JoJo Lacey, Sequoia Holmes

Eclipse (Kierstan Bell): Kaitlyn Chen, Sarah Ashlee Barker, NaLyssa Smith, Emma Cannon, Kayanna Traylor, Brianna Turner, Aaliyah Nye, Deja Kelly, Alaina Coates

Kiah Stokes, once again, was the No. 1 pick in the draft, as Sims sought to equip her squad with the reliable interior presence. She then grabbed Morrow to give the Gold Rush another even more oomph on the glass. Shooters Ariel Atkins, Te-Hina Paopoa and Bree Hall were smart additions, as they will provide Sims the spacing she needs for her slicing drives to the basket. Odyssey put together a group that look poised to power her to the AU champion crown.

Gardner similarly made sure to stock her team with bigs, picking Isabelle Harrison with her first selection before later grabbing Natasha Mack. Zia Cooke and Jacy Sheldon also will give Gardner’s Glow youthful energy on the offensive and defensive ends. The vet Charles, however, opted for more experience with her first several selections for the Rhythm, counting on the seasoned savvy, as well as shooting, of Alysha Clark, Shey Peddy and Kia Nurse.

Considering her consistent production, plus a few loud performances, Chen was a steal for Bell and the Eclipse with the fourth pick of the first round. The same is true for Smith, who Bell grabbed with her third pick. Sarah Ashlee Barker also was a clutch selection at No. 2; not only can she get hot from 3, but she also is an underrated driver with playmaking chops.

When and how to watch Week 4 of AU

Week 4 tips off Wednesday evening, eschewing the usual midweek matinee. Games then continue on Thursday evening, before the season finales on Sunday afternoon. Here’s the complete schedule: