After leaving college, Mt. Juliet High legend Alysha Clark will have the opportunity to play basketball close to home for the first time.
Clark, the 2005 Miss Basketball winner, has recently signed with AU Pro Basketball. The team will compete in a 24-game season from Feb. 5 to March 2 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
Excited about the opportunity, Clark mentioned in a league release, “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.”
Having led the Lady Bears to the 2005 Class AAA state championship, Clark had notable collegiate careers at nearby Belmont and Middle Tennessee State.
Throughout her professional career, she has played basketball internationally during the winter and domestically in the WNBA during the summer, where she has clinched three championships.
This new opportunity allows Clark and the other 39 players (24 of whom have WNBA experience from last year’s league) to showcase their skills without having to go overseas during the winter.
While Clark remains under contract with her WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, for the summer season, she is looking forward to this winter league.
Some of the other notable players signed for this winter season include former Tennessee Lady Vols Jordan Horston, Meighan Simmons, and Isabelle Harrison, as well as Lipscomb University’s Dorie Harrison.
This league stands out as a player-focused competition, similar to pickup games, where individuals can earn points based on their performance and team victories. The top four players in the standings each week will be appointed as captains and get to draft their teams.
At the end of the season, the player with the most points will be crowned as the individual champion.
