Ice in Their Veins: 5 Clutch Moments of AU Pro Basketball Season Five
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Season Five had no shortage of clutch moments, from game-winning plays and buzzer-beating shots to advantage-capturing sequences. The season featured some of the closest games in AU history, including an Elam Ending contest that produced a staggering season-high performance.
Here are five moments where the AU stars proved that when the pressure rises, they really do have ice in their veins.
Natasha Mack Seals the Deal with Seconds to Spare
As the competition heated up in Week Three, Natasha Mack rose to the moment. After trading quarter wins with the Rhythm, Mack, in her debut as captain, took the game into her own hands in the fourth quarter when a timely three-pointer from Rhythm captain Rebekah Gardner tied the contest at 78-78. Mack had the final say with one of the most clutch moments of the competition, sinking a turnaround jumper with just 5.5 seconds remaining to lift Team Glow to an 80-78 victory.
It marked the 11th game in league history decided by two points or less, and the closest margin of victory of the season at that point. Mack finished with 14 points and a then-season-high 17 rebounds to earn MVP 3 honors.
GO AHEAD FROM MACK 😤
📺 ESPN App pic.twitter.com/sggOgehCfg
— AU Pro Basketball (@AUProBasketball) February 18, 2026
Zia Cooke Powers Through for the Lead
Zia Cooke was no stranger to big-time moments in Season Five, but Week Three is when Nashville fans saw one of her steeliest performances. With Rhythm down by one in the final seconds, Cooke didn’t have the height advantage in the paint, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing the rebound and powering back up to score and give her team the 102-101 lead.
Kaitlyn Chen put the finishing touches on the victory with a layup of her own, sealing the 104-101 win. Cooke finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists to earn MVP 2 honors.
Zia and 1 to take the lead 😤 pic.twitter.com/75sHML3f7p
— AU Pro Basketball (@AUProBasketball) February 22, 2026
Ariel Atkins Dances Through Traffic at the Buzzer
Another memorable buzzer-beater came from the same Week Three Rhythm-Eclipse matchup, this time from the opposite side of the stat sheet. With the clock winding down in the second quarter, Ariel Atkins showed that a little traffic is no issue when she locks in on the basket. She danced her way into range and knocked down the jumper with seconds remaining to give her squad a 54-49 advantage heading into the half, creating a sequence that was later named a Gatorade Top Play of the Week.
Atkins finished the game with 14 points, one of six double-figure performances she recorded on the season.
big-time jumper beat the halftime buzzer 🥵
Top Plays presented by @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/tHSoUst91V
— AU Pro Basketball (@AUProBasketball) February 23, 2026
Kierstan Bell Ties it at the Half
The final score may not have been close, but Glow and Gold Rush battled through the first two quarters of their Valentine’s Day matchup in Week Two, and it was Kierstan Bell who delivered a tide-turning moment at the intermission. With Gold Rush threatening to claim the extra quarter win points, Bell sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 41 and send her team into the locker room with momentum.
Glow responded with a dominant third quarter, outscoring their opponent 33-20 on the way to a 97-79 victory. Bell finished with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range.
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Odyssey Sims Closes Out a Historic Elam Ending
The most memorable clutch performance of Season Five belonged to Odyssey Sims, and it came at the most fitting time – the final week of competition. Sims was everywhere in a historic Elam Ending victory over Team Rhythm, finishing with a career-high 44 points (the second-highest single-game scoring total in league history) on 15-of-29 shooting, a 12-for-13 effort from the free throw line, seven rebounds, and one steal.
She drew a foul late in regulation and sank both free throws to force a second overtime period, then knocked down her second three-pointer of the game to pull Gold Rush within one of the target score in the Elam Ending period. When Rhythm was called for a technical foul, Sims stepped to the line one final time and delivered the game-winning shot to seal the 110-109 victory.
O is taking matters into her own hands ‼️
📺 ESPN App pic.twitter.com/i52QE7PJHg
— AU Pro Basketball (@AUProBasketball) February 27, 2026
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
