AU Pro Basketball Building Upon Nashville’s Rich History of Women’s Basketball

AU Pro Basketball offers a distinctive and engaging style of play that maintains playoff-intensity competition throughout the entire season. The league features 40 players. After every week, the top four players are selected to be team captains. Those captains draft players to form their teams. Off the court, players have the opportunity to recruit, propose new rules, and more.

This past season, Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray was crowned the league’s 2024 Champion. Gray racked up 6,918 leaderboard points during her four weeks of play. The guard scored 20 or more points in 11 contests and recorded a league-best eight games with 25 or more points. 

new season, new location, same 5×5 game you know and love 🏀

see you in Nashville, y’all 🔜#AUProHoops pic.twitter.com/OCMtkphYjL

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) September 9, 2024

“The city of Nashville has been so enthusiastic and welcoming to us, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball to Music City,” said Megan Perry, Director of Sport, Basketball, for AU. “Tennessee has long been a hotbed for women’s basketball as the home of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and its rich history at the collegiate level, highlighted by Pat Summitt’s legacy.”

Summitt was hired by the University of Tennessee when she was only 22 years old and remained in Knoxville until she retired at 59. Over her 38 years as a head coach, she achieved remarkable success on Rocky Top.

The Lady Vols won 84% of their games under Summitt, including eight NCAA National Championships, five runner-ups, 18 Final Fours, and 31 consecutive tournament appearances. Notably, her program held a 100% graduation rate for every player who used all of their eligibility at Tennessee. 

Summitt’s impact was also felt on an international level. Though she started coaching at such a young age, she remained a co-captain for the 1976 silver-medal-winning United States Olympic squad while employed as the coach at Tennessee. Summitt then went on to coach the United States Olympic Women’s Basketball Team to a gold medal in 1984. 

In 2000, Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century and was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, marking her first time on the ballot. Three years later, she was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Prior to these honors, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, which was conveniently located in her own backyard of Knoxville, Tennessee. 

While Summitt is a household name in basketball, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s location in Knoxville reflects more than just her legacy. The state recognizes the significance of women’s basketball. 

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame features some of Tennessee’s best basketball figures, including Daedra Charles, Bridgette Gordon, Rick Insell, Chamique Holdsclaw, Carolyn Peck, Tamika Catchings, and many more. 

Tennessee is home to 12 Division 1 women’s basketball programs, four of which made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. These teams represent several respected conferences, including the SEC, Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley, ASUN, AAC, Conference USA, and SoCon. 

Nashville is eager to embrace the high level of basketball that Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball offers. With the legacy of Pat Summitt, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and the state’s passion for high-caliber teams, AU Pro Basketball is the latest property to call it home.