Recap: Taylor scores career-high 22 points in Eclipse's 101-83 victory

Taylor, who garnered MVP 1 honors and a career-high 723 leaderboard points, paced five Eclipse players in double figures after knocking down 7-of-11 shots from the floor along with an 8-for-9 showing at the free throw line.

Guard Rebekah Gardner, making her AU Pro Basketball debut, secured MVP 2 notice with 680 leaderboards after contributing 17 points. She made 6-of-8 field goal attempts along with all three of her free throws.

Forward Aneesah Morrow completed the MVP sweep for Eclipse, earning MVP 3 laurels after registering 14 points with a game-high 13 rebounds in her Athletes Unlimited debut.

Guards Kaitlyn Chen and Kierstan Bell chipped in 10 points apiece for Eclipse, who shot 45.5 percent from the field.

Guard Odyssey Sims led Gold Rush in the loss with 18 points while adding seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Guard Aerial Powers contributed 17 points in 28 minutes off the bench, while forward Teana Muldrow and guard Bria Hartley scored 15 and 11 points,
respectively.

KEY MOMENT

After battling to a 19-19 tie in the opening seven minutes, Eclipse took the lead for good by scoring nine of the next 13 points for a 28-23 advantage. Eclipse’s advantage ballooned to as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Led by Taylor, Eclipse players account for eight of the top 10 positions in the standings following the season-opening doubleheader.

GOLD RUSH NOTES

• Guard Odyssey Sims became the third player in AU Pro Basketball history to surpass 300 career rebounds in Wednesday’s season opener … The fifth-year guard finished with seven rebounds in the loss, elevating her career total to 306 caroms.
• Sims also appeared in the 55th game of her AU Pro Basketball career, allowing her to stand as the only player in league history to appear in every possible game.
• Sims also ran her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 25 games in a row … She has tallied 10 or more points in 53-of-55 career contests, which ranks first in league history.
• Guard Bria Hartley, who made her debut as a captain on Wednesday night, registered the 10th double-digit scoring effort in her two-year Athletes Unlimited career.

Next Game for Gold Rush: Friday, February 6, vs. Rhythm (9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)

ECLIPSE NOTES

• Eclipse requested a captain’s challenge with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter on a foul against center Mercedes Russell … The challenge was unsuccessful.
• Eclipse recorded the ninth win points sweep in league history after collecting all 420 win points … It is the first win points sweep since February 19, 2025, when Team Siegrist won all four quarters and the game against Team Harrison in a 98-80 victory.
• Captain Alysha Clark earned a victory in her debut as a captain … Captains now own a 12-13 all-time record in their debut.
• Forward Asia Taylor authored her second 20-point showing in 13 career AU Pro Basketball games … She has reached double figures in 6-of-13 outings.
• Guard Kierstan Bell reached double figures in scoring for the 31st time in her AU Pro Basketball career, which ranks sixth on the league’s all-time chart
• Coach Chaz Franklin earned his first AU Pro Basketball victory while making his league debut.

Next Game for Eclipse: Friday, February 6, vs. Glow (6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT)

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Asia Taylor, (Eclipse), +90 points
• #2 – Rebekah Gardner, (Eclipse), +60 points
• #3 – Aneesah Morrow, (Eclipse), +30 points