Allisha Gray Crowned Season 3 AU Pro Basketball Champion

“My game does the speaking for me, my game speaks loud for me,” Gray said. “I’m a leader by example, so I’m not going to change who I am. I’ve been a pro for eight years, it is getting a job done… I just continue being me and doing what I do best and that’s get buckets on the court.”

Not only will her name be in the Book of Unlimited as the champion, but she also inked it in the AU record books. Gray set a new league record for leaderboard points and scoring average in a single season. She surpassed 2022 Champion Tianna Hawkins’ 6,831 point total and eclipsed Sims’ average of 26.1 points per game from last season. She paced the league this season in total points scored (349) and free throws (92), and tied for the league lead in 3-pointers (35) with Kierstan Bell.

Night after night Gray put up stellar performances, garnering votes for MVP in 15 of her last 16 contests. Gray collected a league-high 11 Game MVP nods this season, tying Hawkins for the single-season standard set during her 2022 title-winning season. This is the second time in league history a player has won 10 or more Game MVP awards in a single season.

Gray posted 20 or more points in 11 outings this season and a league-best eight games with 25 or more points.

2nd-place medalist: Odyssey Sims

Odyssey Sims showcased her ability to get a bucket while serving as a floor general, point guard, and captain. It’s clear through Sims becoming the first player to record two triple-doubles in an AU season. She joined Natasha Cloud as the only two players to garner one in league history.

She also led the league in assists (117) and ranked third in steals (23).

Sims is now the first athlete in AU Pro Basketball to serve as a captain every week during consecutive seasons and joins lacrosse attacker Sam Apuzzo as the only player in any AU sport to accomplish the feat.

3rd-Place medalist: Kierstan Bell

All Kierstan Bell did this season was win, win, win. She came out on top in 26 quarters and 9 games finishing as the second-most point earner in the win category in 2024. She closed the season a perfect 3-0 week leading her team as a captain.

Her stroke all year was true; Bell shot 48.9% from the floor and 38% from three.

4th-place Medalist: Natasha Cloud

Guard Natasha Cloud finishes the season as the third-winningest player in 2024, winning 28 quarters and an 8-4 record. She finished the year with 17 straight double-digit scoring efforts and was second in assists this season with 113.

This is Cloud’s second medal-earning season, she finished 2nd overall on the leaderboard in 2022.

Defensive Player of the Year: Emily Engstler

Emily Engstler was a defensive stalwart in nearly every statistical category. She led the league in rebounds (122) and blocks (28), and ranked second in steals (25).

She was selected as Defensive Player of the Year from the five-player All-Defensive Team, which included Cloud, Lexie Hull, Sydney Colson, and Laeticia Amihere.

Englster broke the record for rebounds in a single game with 19 in her season finale on Saturday night against Team Cloud. In addition, she is the only player in the league’s three-year history to gather 15 or more rebounds in a game multiple times in their career. It only took Engstler nine games to beat the previous single-season blocks record, surpassing it on March 18. She finished with 28 on the season.

Newcomer of the Year: Tiffany Mitchell

Tiffany Mitchell shined for four straight weeks, stepping onto the scene for her first AU Pro Basketball season and earning the honor of Newcomer of the Year.

Mitchell had the best three-point percentage in the league for shooters with 40 or more attempts, recording 46.7% from beyond the arc. She also paced the group in made two-pointers, with a 48.5 field goal percentage.

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AU Pro Basketball will return for a fourth season in 2025, with details regarding timing and location to be announced. 

Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Twitter @savannaecollins.