The second season of Athletes Unlimited lacrosse got off to a fast start over the weekend in Maryland, with action carrying over from the world lacrosse championship earlier in July.

Taylor Moreno emerged as the leader, amassing 581 points from her spot in goal. One of the many rookies gracing the field this season for AU, she made 26 saves through 12 quarters played and holds a 0.63 save percentage. Her best game came Sunday, with the goalkeeper amassing 241 points in the outing.

She’s followed by Amanda Johansen, who notched seven goals – including two two-point goals and two hat tricks in two days – and won 12 draw controls on the weekend. She has 576 points so far.

Sam Apuzzo remains in a captain’s position, with 467 points on the weekend, good for third on the leaderboard. She had five goals and seven assists on the weekend, with her seven assists the most of any player. Dempsey Arsenault rounds out the top four with 451 points.

After exploding in the first game of the season with four goals, rookie attacker Lauren Gilbert scored three more goals on the weekend. She tied for the most goals on the weekend with Charlotte North, who sits 17th on the leaderboard, and Johansen.

Defender Emma Trenchard was the other standout rookie of the weekend, with her 377 points placing her in 10th on the leaderboard. 

Final Scores:

Thursday, July 21

  • Team Apuzzo 14, Team Glynn 10
  • Team Read 12, Team Waters 8

Saturday, July 23

  • Team Apuzzo 12, Team Read 5
  • Team Glynn 8, Team Waters 7

Sunday, July 24

  • Team Read 10, Team Glynn 9
  • Team Apuzzo 10, Team Waters 5

The second season of Athletes Unlimited lacrosse has arrived, with the four week season running from July 21 through August 14.

This year’s rookie class is stacked with names like Charlotte North and Jamie Ortega entering the ranks. But others like Sam Apuzzo and Caylee Waters are back in the fold. Just Women’s Sports has three athletes to watch as the season heats up

Charlotte North

Raise your hand if you’re surprised Charlotte North is on this list. 

One of this season’s rookies, North enters this season having cemented her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate lacrosse players of all time. The NCAA all-time leader with 358 career goals, she brings the firepower every time she steps onto the field. 

A two-time Tewaaraton Award winner, she is also fresh off of winning gold with Team USA at the World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship (as are many of those competing with Athletes Unlimited this season). At those championships, North led Team USA in goals with 23 total – good for ninth in the tournament. 

She appears to be bringing those stats with her, having scored three goals in her first AU game against Team Waters, with two of those goals being two-point goals. She added three assists and won two draw controls, showcasing just how balanced she can be on the scoresheet.

Look for North to find the back of the net even more this season – and find herself at or near the top of the leaderboard.

Lauren Gilbert

A two-time IWLCA All-American First Team selection, Lauren Gilbert made noise with a very good Northwestern program in college. The fourth-leading scorer in program history with 225 career goals, she helped lead the Wildcats to two Big Ten Conference titles and three NCAA semifinal appearances.

Her first time out with Team Apuzzo ended well last night, with Gilbert rocketing to the top of the leaderboard. She notched the first goal of the Athletes Unlimited season – her first of four on the night against Team Glynn.

While there are still plenty of games to be played, Gilbert is no stranger to leading the way, having led Northwestern last season with 79 goals and 106 points. With 27 assists, she’s also capable of creating chances for teammates, making her a threat all around.

Marie McCool

Another player fresh off of a gold medal win at the world championships, Marie McCool ranked second on Team USA with 20 goals, including the opener in the gold medal game against Canada.

She also contributed 17 draw controls and had five hat tricks in eight separate games. The former No. 2 overall selection in the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League draft and a 2019 WPLL champion with Baltimore, McCool is a winner.

After finishing ninth last season with 1,517 points, the midfielder is back and ready for more. Look for her to improve on her draw controls from last season (49, good for second in the league) and continue her goal scoring tear from the world championships. Already she has two from Team Waters’ 12-8 loss to Team Read, which was tied for first on her team with attacker Kenzie Kent (2G, 2A).

The Athletes Unlimited lacrosse season continues Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Sydney Colson has signed a training camp contract with the Las Vegas Aces, the team announced Wednesday. It’s Colson’s third stint with the franchise, having previously played with the Aces in 2019 and the San Antonio Stars from 2015-17.

Colson recently completed the Athletes Unlimited basketball season, where she finished 12th overall, averaging 11.4 points and 6.9 assists per game, good for second in the league.

She also drained the shot of the year for Athletes Unlimited, nailing a game-winning, overtime buzzer-beater from half court during the season.

“I’m excited to see Sydney in training camp,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “I know how hard she worked in San Antonio to establish herself in the WNBA, and she had arguably her best year in the league with the Aces in 2019. We had the opportunity to see her quite a bit during the Athletes Unlimited season, and that competitive fire is definitely still there.”

Originally selected 16th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2011 WNBA Draft, she was traded to the New York Liberty where she played in 16 games as a rookie. She was waived in 2012 and made her way back to the WNBA in 2015, signing as a free agent with San Antonio.

During three years with the Stars, Colson averaged 3.9 points and 2.5 assists through 96 games. With the Aces in 2019, she averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 assists, making 45 percent of her 3-pointers. She then signed as a free agent with Chicago in 2020, appearing in 17 games.

“I’m excited that the Aces reached out, and I’m very much looking forward to being in training camp again,” said Colson. “I knew I could still compete last season when I was out of the league, but I believe in divine timing, and I try not to question things. I’m all about seizing the moment and the opportunity that’s in front of me, so that’s what I plan to go do.”

Colson isn’t the first Athletes Unlimited player to sign with the Aces as the team signed Kalani Brown to a training camp contract mid-February.

The Las Vegas Aces have signed Kalani Brown to a training camp contract, the team announced Tuesday. Brown last played in the WNBA in May 2021, but has been a top performer during Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural basketball season this winter, currently 10th on the player leaderboard with 2,566 points.

Brown is the second AU athlete to sign a WNBA training camp contract, two weeks after the Connecticut Sun picked up guard Taj Cole.

The seventh overall pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Brown averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 28 games as a rookie. In February 2020, the Sparks traded the center to the Atlanta Dream, where she played 10 games that season before suffering an injury. The Dream then waived Brown last season after she appeared in one game.

The former Baylor star has also spent time overseas, playing for Kayseri and most recently for Hatayspor. With Hatayspor, Brown averaged 20.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during EuroCup play. In Turkish League competition, she averaged 20.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

With Athletes Unlimited this season, Brown is averaging 14.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and leads the league with a 68.8 percent field goal percentage.

“Kalani has been a big presence on the floor during the Athlete’s Unlimited season and overseas in Turkey this year, and I’m anxious to see how she performs in training camp,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said in a press release Tuesday. “At 6-7, she obviously commands a lot of attention in the post, and at just 24-years-old, she still has room to grow her game.”

“I’m so excited to join the Aces, and to be around so many great vets whom I can learn from, and being coached by one of the greatest to play this game is an added bonus,” Brown said. “I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity, and I’m ready to get to work.”

This week, Brown will play on Team Hawkins, who face Team Sims in their first game on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

The second week of Athletes Unlimited Basketball means (some) new captains and major roster overhauls.

Mercedes Russell is the only captain to carry over from Week 1 to Week 2, finishing the first slate of games fourth overall in points with 1,050. Former teammates Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison will go head-to-head after Cloud finished atop the AU leaderboard with 1,451 points and Harrison ended the week in third place with 1,291 points.

With the first overall pick of the draft on Sunday, Cloud selected Week 1 teammate and captain DiJonai Carrington. The two were dynamite in Week 1, helping lead Team Carrington to an undefeated record over the weekend.

Brown took guard Taj Cole with the second pick. Cole sits seventh on the leaderboard with 990 points after Week 1. One of four players picked up during Athletes Unlimited tryouts, Cole has been making waves, averaging 19.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds. She also currently leads the league with 22 3-pointers made. Carrington is second with 13.

With the third pick of the draft, Harrison selected Jantel Lavender. The Indiana Fever forward finished fifth in the standings, just six points behind Russell after a high-scoring week for Team Carrington.

Russell selected former captain Kelsey Mitchell with the fourth overall pick. After breaking out with 27 points in Game 2, Mitchell went just 1-for-3 in games over the weekend while her team was missing multiple players due to COVID-19 protocols.

Natasha Cloud leads the Athletes Unlimited basketball leaderboard after the first week of competition.

The star guard notched 1,415 points over three games, followed by Lexie Brown with 1,345 points. Isabelle Harrison and Mercedes Russell round out the Week One top four, solidifying their place as Week Two captains.

Cloud and Harrison led Team Carrington to a 3-0 record to open the AU season, each earning additional points in the standings after clinching MVP honors.

In the team’s final matchup against Team Sims, Harrison led her side to an 84-78 victory, recording 19 points. Cloud added to the team’s tally with 12 points and seven assists, earning herself 60 MVP points to move atop the league standings.

Russell returns as a captain after finishing the opening series of games with a 2-1 record, capping off the week with a commanding 79-71 victory over Team Mitchell. The team’s captain led scoring with 20 points, while Lexie Brown added 16 points and nine rebounds for MVP 3 honors.

Week Two captains will select their teams on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, with the draft streamed on YouTube.

Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural basketball season begins this week, with a plethora of new and old talent taking the court for the player-led five-week campaign. Of the 44-player roster, 11 hail from the WNBA, 11 from overseas and 12 from the sidelines after taking a year off for one reason or another.

Under AU’s unique scoring format, it’s hard to know who will come out on top. But it’s still fun to speculate, and Just Women’s Sports has five players to watch as the season gets underway Wednesday.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Briahanna Jackson

Most recent team: Club Aztks (Mexico)
Position: Guard

A guard out of Louisville, Jackson went undrafted in 2017 before heading overseas to play in Brazil, Spain, Puerto Rico, Poland and Mexico. Most recently, Jackson spent the 2021 season with Club Aztks in Mexico, where she averaged 15 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 24 games.

Spending her first two NCAA seasons at the University of Central Florida, Jackson was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and averaged 17.8 points per game as a sophomore before transferring to Louisville. She finished her 2016-17 redshirt senior season with the Cardinals second on the team in steals (41) and assists (127). Nationally, she ranked 33rd with a 2.35 assist-to-turnover ratio. With steals and assists each worth 10 points in the Athletes Unlimited system, Jackson could quickly move up the scoreboard.

As one of four players picked up during AU’s open tryouts in Atlanta, Jackson is a well-rounded playmaker who should fit into the lineup of any team that drafts her, giving her an advantage with the turnover each week.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Kelsey Mitchell

Most recent team: Indiana Fever (WNBA)
Position: Guard

The Indiana Fever’s No. 2 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, Mitchell is one of the most consistent scorers in the Athletes Unlimited pool. A member of the 2018 WNBA All-Rookie team, she’s only gotten better as her career has gone on. The 5-foot-8 guard has finished among the WNBA’s top-10 scorers the past two seasons, averaging 17.9 points per game in 2020 and 17.8 in 2021. She ended last season on a 23-game streak of scoring at least 10 points, the longest active such streak in the WNBA.

Mitchell is a prolific 3-point shooter, having left Ohio State as the NCAA’s all-time leader with 497 made 3-pointers. In 2018, Mitchell and Fever teammate Victoria Vivians recorded the most 3-pointers ever by a WNBA rookie tandem, with 135.

Made 3-pointers are worth 30 individual points in AU’s system, while a missed 3-pointer is a loss of just 10 points. A player loses the same amount of points for a field goal, but earns only 20 points for a made 2-point shot. While shot selection is still key, long-range shooters like Mitchell could end up being rewarded more for their efforts and find themselves higher up the leaderboard.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Mercedes Russell

Most recent team: Seattle Storm (WNBA)
Position: Center

A two-time WNBA champion with Seattle, Russell has spent four total seasons in the WNBA. The 6-foot-6 center finished last season just off her career best in points per game with 7.3 and with a career-high 6.1 rebounds. She also added 1.6 assists per game for the fourth-place Storm.

It’s not just the number of shots Russell takes that will serve her well in AU, but her offensive efficiency. Last season, she shot 61.7 percent from the field, good for second-highest in the WNBA. She is currently third in field-goal percentage in Storm franchise history, ahead of the likes of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, and is 14th all-time in the WNBA.

That level of efficiency should be rewarded in AU. While made shots are guaranteed points, missed shots lead to a deduction, meaning Russell is less likely to give up easy points.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Mikiah Herbert Harrigan

Most recent team: Seattle Storm (WNBA)
Position: Forward

A two-year WNBA veteran, Herbert Harrigan took off last year to give birth to a son. The Storm acquired the forward last February in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx, who drafted her sixth overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She made 21 appearances off the bench during her rookie season, averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. She was an efficient shooter as well, with a field-goal percentage of 60 percent.

Before turning pro, Herbert Harrigan was a standout at South Carolina. As a senior, she averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game during the regular season and was named SEC tournament MVP. Where Herbert Harrigan excels is on defense. She finished her career at South Carolina ranked second all-time with 210 blocked shots. While it might take some time for her to get back up to game speed after the year off, she could make an all-around impact for whichever captains draft her.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Kirby Burkholder

Most recent team: Energa Torun (Poland)
Position: Guard

Burkholder has extensive experience on the international circuit, playing in Poland, Hungary, Belgium and Italy. Most recently, she averaged 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in seven games for Energa Torun in Poland. Prior to that, she was with ZTE Noi Kosarlabda Klub in Hungary and averaged 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Before heading overseas, Burkholder was a standout guard at James Madison University. As a senior, she averaged 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, finishing among the top-seven guards in the nation in rebounds per game and earning Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year. Upon graduating in 2014, Burkholder signed with the Mystics and competed in training camp before heading to Italy.

The guard has the high-scoring and high-rebounding potential to capitalize on AU’s scoring system.

Emma Hruby is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

DiJonai Carrington, Odyssey Sims, Mercedes Russell and Kelsey Mitchell have been selected as Athletes Unlimited’s week one basketball captains.

The league’s inaugural week one draft will kick off at 3 pm ET on Sunday, streaming on Facebook Live.

Teams will be formed from a 44-player list, which features, among other talents, WNBA stars like Lexie Brown, with Carrington, Sims, Russell and Mitchell selecting their squads for the first round of games.

The Athletes Unlimited basketball season tips off on Wednesday in Las Vegas, with the opener streaming live on Athletes Unlimited’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter channels at 8:00 PM ET and the second game airing on CBS Sports Network at 11:00 PM ET.

The five-week competition runs through Feb. 26.

Athletes Unlimited announced the addition of 10 players to its roster for the league’s inaugural basketball season. That group includes five current WNBA players with a combined 47 seasons of experience in Jantel Lavender, Tianna Hawkins, Odyssey Sims, Courtney Williams and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan.

“Athletes Unlimited provides American players an additional opportunity to play in the United States, an opportunity we have always hoped for,” said Indiana Fever forward Lavender, a 10-year WNBA veteran who won the 2016 WNBA championship with the Los Angeles Sparks. “Staying in the U.S. allows us to spend more time with our families while earning money and not putting as much wear and tear on our bodies, so that we can put out the best product.”

Lavender said she is looking forward to Athletes Unlimited’s unique format, which awards individual points to players based on stats. Every week during the season, the top four players serve as captains and select new teams.

Hawkins, the Atlanta Dream forward who will enter her ninth WNBA season in 2022, won a WNBA title with the Washington Mystics in 2019. She’ll be joined by Sims and Williams, her teammates with the Dream in 2021.

Williams made headlines in October after a video surfaced showing an altercation outside of an Atlanta club in May that involved Williams and teammate Crystal Bradford. The Dream later said they would not be re-signing either player.

“I would never want to represent myself or the organization in a negative way,” Williams wrote on Twitter in a now-deleted tweet. “I’m learning everyday so I ask for grace as I’m growing. Again I apologize to all attached, and I will be better moving forward.”

New Dream general manager Dan Padover later confirmed that the players — free agents in 2022 — would not return to Atlanta.

Seattle Storm forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who took time off last season to give birth, will also join the league along with 2016 WNBA champion and 13-year WNBA veteran Essence Carson. Kirby Burkholder, Tyce Knox, Jessica Kuster and Laurin Mincy, who have spent significant amounts of time playing overseas, round out the group.

The season will run from Jan. 26 to Feb. 26, 2022 in Las Vegas.

“Ever since the announcement about Athletes Unlimited basketball, the feedback has been nothing but positive which is great,” said Sydney Colson, the first player to sign on for the season. “Knowing that we’ll be playing in Las Vegas took it up a few more notches! The Vegas fan base was so incredible when I played there and I can’t wait to see familiar faces as well as new fans in the stands at all of our games!”

Athletes Unlimited will hold open tryouts from Dec. 11-12 in Atlanta, where at least one roster spot will be offered to an athlete who attends.

Athletes Unlimited is launching its next league: basketball.

The fourth league in the Athletes Unlimited lineup is set to debut in January 2022, joining softball, volleyball and lacrosse. It will follow the same model that AU has deployed in its first three leagues, with player captains re-drafting teams each week.

Athletes Unlimited Basketball will feature 44 players competing in a five-week season from Jan. 29 through Feb. 28 in 2022.

“Athletes Unlimited has built the highest quality and most successful versions of softball, lacrosse and volleyball leagues in the United States we have seen to-date, and we couldn’t be more excited to apply our innovative model to basketball,” said Athletes Unlimited Co-Founder and CEO Jon Patricof. “Women’s basketball is a growing game. We have seen significant ratings increases in the WNBA, massive growth in the NCAA and a burgeoning landscape around the world.

“With the launch of Athletes Unlimited, pro women’s basketball will be played during the winter to coincide with fans’ engagement with the NBA, NCAA and international basketball, and brings us closer to the year-round access fans have on the men’s side.”

The league aims to have current and former WNBA players, as well as players from the U.S. and international locations, on its final roster.

Already set to compete is the Washington Mystics’ Natasha Cloud. Cloud played in 27 games for the Mystics in 2021, averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. The point guard is married to 2021 Athletes Unlimited Softball champion Aleshia Ocasio.

“I am excited to be joining Athletes Unlimited Basketball and to be a member of the player executive committee,” said Cloud. “I have seen first-hand what Athletes Unlimited has done in its other leagues and have loved the high quality, fast pace of play and most importantly how the players have driven the decision-making on and off the court. Now we are going to bring that same energy and format to the sport of basketball.”

WNBA veterans Sydney Colson and Ty Young will join Cloud as the first three athletes in the league. Colson last played for the Chicago Sky in 2020, while Young’s most recent stint came with the Las Vegas Aces in 2019.