Ariel Atkins lines up with ball against Odyssey Sims during an AU Pro Basketball game

Recap: Ariel Atkins secures 83-78 win for Glow over Gold Rush

Ryan Legarsky

Feb 07, 2026

NASHVILLE — Guards Ariel Atkins and Jacy Sheldon combined to score the game’s final 10 points as Glow rallied to secure an 83-78 Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball victory over Gold Rush in the Week One finale at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on Saturday evening.

Glow completed the season’s opening week with a 2-1 record, while Gold Rush dipped to 1-2 with the four-point loss.

Atkins, who garnered her first career Game MVP honor, scored 14 of her team-high 19 points in the first half while adding eight rebounds with five assists en route to 484 leaderboard points.

Forward Emma Cannon added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and two steals, while center Tina Charles chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds in the victory.

Sheldon and guard Zia Cooke each contributed 12 points for Glow, which won its second straight game after opening the week with a loss against Eclipse.

Guard Odyssey Sims recorded a game-high 23 points in the loss for Gold Rush to grab MVP 3 accolades. Sims authored a 9-for-14 effort at the free throw line in addition to grabbing seven rebounds with three assists.

Guard Sarah Ashlee Barker received MVP 2 plaudits after tallying 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range.

KEY MOMENT

Glow trailed by a 78-73 margin with 3:49 remaining in regulation before mounting its comeback. Sheldon and Atkins hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the squad a one-point edge with 2:00 left before an Atkins jumper extended the margin to 81-78 with 1:10 remaining. Sheldon completed the game-ending run with a lay-up with 23 seconds remaining.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Cooke closed Week One in seventh place on the leaderboard with 1,281 points, while Charles vaulted into 10th place with 1,081 points. Guard Kaitlyn Chen sits atop the league standings with 1,583 leaderboard points after guiding Eclipse to a 3-0 record.

GLOW NOTES

Glow requested a captain’s challenge with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter on a defensive foul called against guard Jacy Sheldon … The challenge was successful after the call was overturned.
Glow’s five-point victory marked the 38th game in league history to be decided by five points or less, including the second time on Saturday after Eclipse defeated Rhythm, 80-76, earlier tonight.
Forward NaLyssa Smith secured her ninth career win as a captain, elevating her into fourth place on the league’s all-time chart.
Center Tina Charles registered 10 or more points in all three games during Week One after finishing with 15 points on Saturday night.
Guard Ariel Atkins scored in double figures in two of her three games in Week One.
Guard Jacy Sheldon finished with a season-high 12 points, marking her first career double-digit scoring output.
Guard Zia Cooke extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to nine games after tallying 12 points on Saturday … She has now posted 10 or more points in 12-of-15 career fixtures.

GOLD RUSH NOTES

Gold Rush initiated a captain’s challenge with 6:05 remaining in the second quarter on a defensive foul called against guard Sarah Ashlee Barker … The challenge was successful after the call was overturned.
Gold Rush starters accounted for 72 of the team’s 78 points in Saturday’s Week One finale … In addition, Gold Rush held a 48-36 advantage over Glow in points in the paint.
Guard Odyssey Sims ran her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 27 games in a row after collecting a game-high 23 points against Glow on Saturday night … Sims also surpassed 20 points in a game for the 42nd time in her Athletes Unlimited career, extending her league record.
Sims also earned her 29th career Game MVP honor, which elevated her league standard.
Guard Aerial Powers scored in double figures in all three games during Week One after finishing with 16 points.