Alaina Coates Signs with AU Pro Basketball for 2026
Alaina Coates is a seasoned 6-foot-4 center with championship experience, and for her next challenge, she’s set to make her Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball debut this winter in Nashville.
Coates was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft, and now brings a veteran résumé that includes five WNBA franchises and a 2023 championship with the Las Vegas Aces. Across 95 career WNBA games, she’s averaged 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds. She shot 55.8 percent from the field while serving as a reliable frontcourt option for Chicago, Minnesota, Atlanta, Washington, Indiana, and Phoenix before joining Las Vegas.
Her most productive WNBA season was in 2022 with the Indiana Fever, when she averaged 3.5 points per game. Her return to the league in 2023 saw her contribute to Las Vegas’ title run after signing a hardship contract midseason.
Before she went pro, Coates starred at the University of South Carolina, where she became the first player in program history to earn All-SEC honors four times. Despite an ankle injury that sidelined her during the Gamecocks’ 2017 NCAA Championship run, she made her mark on the program with over 1,200 career rebounds and multiple All-America honors.
Internationally, Coates has built an extensive career overseas, competing in leagues across Hungary, China, Turkey, Israel, and Italy, most recently with Autosped G BCC Derthona Basket Scrivia. She also earned a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games with Team USA.
Now, Coates will join the diverse talent group set to compete in Nashville for AU Pro Basketball Season 5, where she will draw from the experience she’s garnered over a decade of college, WNBA, and international play.
AU Pro Basketball returns to Nashville, Tennessee, with elite talent and electrifying energy, for its fifth championship season on February 4, 2026, at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Group and season ticket deposits for the upcoming season are available now.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
