AU Pro Basketball Brings Strongest Roster to Date to Nashville Beginning Feb. 4

Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball today announced its final roster of 40 players for the league’s fifth championship season, assembling its most accomplished and competitive fields in its history. The 2026 season returns to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium from February 4 through March 1 (tickets on sale now).

The finalized roster features a new look – 20 newcomers to AU join 20 returning favorites – reflecting the continued growth and stature of AU Pro Basketball, bringing together a deep mix of WNBA champions, All-Stars, Olympic medalists, former first-round draft picks, collegiate All-Americans, and current WNBA athletes. With elite talent at every position, the field underscores Athletes Unlimited’s position as a premier destination for high-level competition during the winter basketball calendar.

Leading the roster is a veteran core led by Tina Charles, the all-time WNBA leader in rebounds and field goals made. Additional WNBA veteran standouts include Ariel Atkins, Alysha Clark, Kia Nurse, Aerial Powers, Odyssey Sims, Kiah Stokes, Brianna Turner, Lexie Brown, Isabelle Harrison, and Bria Hartley. That championship experience is matched by an exciting wave of next-generation stars and recent standouts such as Aneesha Morrow, Nalyssa Smith, Jacy Sheldon, Te-Hina Paopao, Zia Cooke, Deja Kelly, Kaitlyn Chen, Jaylyn Sherrod, and Aaliyah Nye, creating the deepest and most balanced roster in AU Pro Basketball history. 

The competitive depth of the 2026 roster is reflected in its collective accolades:

• 18 players selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft
• 21 players who earned All-America honors in college
• 27 players currently on a WNBA team roster (as of January 6, 2026)
• 13 combined WNBA championships
• 18 combined NCAA championships

“This roster reflects exactly what AU Pro Basketball is about – elite competition, meaningful opportunity, and players who want to test themselves against the very best,” said Megan Perry, Vice President of Basketball for Athletes Unlimited. “The depth across all 40 spots is exceptional, and it’s going to make this one of the most challenging and compelling seasons we’ve had.”

AU Pro Basketball also announced its 2026 coaching staff, a group of respected leaders with experience across the WNBA, international competition, and player development. Coaches for the four teams will include Zak Buncik, Edniesha Curry, Chaz Franklin and Kia Vaughn, and they will be supported by Player Enhancement Specialists Dee Brown (former Celtics great and father of Lexie Brown, chair of the AU Pro Basketball Player Executive Committee) and Danielle Viglione. 

AU Pro Basketball was the first winter pro women’s basketball league to launch in the United States when it began in 2022 and remains the only platform in the U.S. offering professional women the opportunity to play 5 v 5 full court basketball outside of the WNBA and the only women’s professional sports property to call Nashville home. Innovative in its player-focused approach, AU Pro Basketball provides an ability for WNBA players to stay in the U.S. during the offseason while also providing playing opportunities for elite pro players not currently on WNBA rosters. With $500,000 in prize bonuses at stake and the rules set by the players themselves, every moment counts as each player competes for the title of individual AU Pro Basketball Champion.