Nashville, tenn. (AP) – Alysha Clark wants to end the story that unlimited and unrivaled athletes welcome basketball players against each other. Or that having two pro leagues obliges players to a decision or a decision.
Clark thinks that the leagues simply offer more, off -season opportunities to play basketball closer to their home to complete their Wgb wages.
“He tackles the problems we have had as players for so many years,” said Clark. “We all had to go abroad and sacrifice time away from family and friends to make a living … but now there are options.”
This is the first season of Clark with Athletes Unlimited, which is in its fourth season in total. The triple WNBA champion could not be closer to his home as a star of Tennessee High School who first played in Belmont, then in the middle of Tennessee. Unforeseen, during its first year, made its debut on January 17 and in Clark, this league gives the players of the superstar a off -season option while unlimited athletes offer other players who wish to refine the skills in the hope of Do – or keep their place – on the WNBA lists.
Having several professional leagues for women to choose in the United States as WNBA’s intersanement options is more than many women could even dream about 15 years ago.
“It’s beautiful for our game and I am delighted to be part of this and to help go here home and, I hope, to create more opportunities,” said Clark, who had to Fray cut your first two seasons. “It would be incredible that it continues to develop and now players have many options and they are all invested in the same way, that’s what I hope that it will end up solving.”
Differences between illustrated and unrivaled athletes
The players of the AT Four team league will play 24 games of 5 against 5 Hoops Nashville From Wednesday evening next month to the municipal auditorium. Unrivaled is a competition of 3 against 3 with six teams playing 44 regular season games in Miami.
The triple Olympian nurse Kia chose the AU as the best option to help her prepare for the next WNBA season with her tall court. The tighter season also registers better in its schedule as a broadcasting analyst for the Raptors of Toronto de la NBA.
“It was an ideal opportunity, and it was an ideal moment,” said the nurse. “It’s just a five -week season, so I don’t miss a ton of Raptors matches. And so my bosses were like” and I say to myself: “Great!” It’s perfect for me.
How many players are there in each league?
Unlimited athletes has 40 list points. Unexposed has 36. It means that almost twice as many players can stay in the United States if they choose rather than go abroad to play ball.
“It increases the match,” said the nurse. “So, at the end of the day, if you turn on television, you watch a female basketball match, whether 5 against 5 or 3 against 3. Make the growth of the game and it is also important.”
The other WNBA players on the AU lists include Maddy Siegrist, Kiersten Bell, Sydney Colson, Alissa Pili and Lexie Brown, who was with In Pro Basketball from the start in Las Vegas in 2022. The players earn points at the same time for team victories and individual performance with a large dashboard on one side of the courtyard. The teams change every week with the four best players serving as captains and write hands lists on the management and coach experience.
The player with the most points at the end of the season is the individual champion. The previous winners were Tianna Hawkins, Nalyssa Smith and Allisha Gray.
What are the wages of players in both leagues?
Megan Perry, director of AU basketball, would not discuss wages, except to say that their contracts are competitive and varied to make sure that the league attracts the best talents. Unrivaled to The highest average salary for players from any professional professional sports league With a lot of six -digit wages for the eight -week season with an average salary of more than $ 220,000 – near the maximum basic salary of the WNBA.
The leagues will be in a battle for viewers on Fridays and Saturdays, when game shows in each overlap. AU matches (Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) will be on ESPN + with the WNBA application and the Fanduel Sports Network. For a week, AU season matches will be played on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; During the last week, the calendar will take place Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Underant matches are broadcast on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays TNT and Tri TV.
For Theresa Plaisance, which won a WNBA title in 2022 with the Las Vegas Aces, its third season with unlimited athletes is perfectly part of the sports calendar.
“We like non-pAUX in female sports, so the fact that we have this from time to time, you fall directly into Mars madness and then you go directly to the draft (WNBA), then here is the training camp … I am personally I love it, “said Plaisance.” I think it worked perfect. “”
Players with voluntary state roots
Some players in AU have tesnesse ties. Isabelle Harrison is a native of Nashville playing with her sister, Dorie. They have 10 brothers and sisters, so many family and friends should buy tickets. Harrison is one of the three flights Lady Vols, including Jordan Outon, who was a member of the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2023 with Seattle and Meighan Simmons.
The Unlimited athletes wanted to be in Nashville due to the rich tradition of female basketball in Tennessee. The League announced last fall its decision to play this season in the Music City. Last week, officials announced a Scholarship to provide a WNBA extension franchise in Nashville. The way fans are revealed for this pro-woman league will certainly be noticed by WNBA officials evaluating the offers for the teams.
Tennessee players believe that fans reveal themselves. Clark saw her herself with people traveling all around Tennessee to watch the right female basketball.
Clark said: “It’s the heritage here.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-mazing
