McKenzie Forbes Returns to AU Pro Basketball for 2026
McKenzie Forbes is set to return to Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball this winter after a strong debut season in Nashville. Forbes appeared in all 12 games in 2025 and closed her rookie campaign with 2,772 leaderboard points, proving herself a steady scorer who can heat up quickly and make an impact on both ends of the court.
Forbes averaged 4.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game after opening her AU career with a start against Team Westbrook, and had several standout moments throughout the season. She set her season high with 12 points against Team Harrison and earned MVP 2 honors that night, collecting a season-best 573 leaderboard points. She also added 476 leaderboard points in her February 7 matchup with Team Harrison after putting up six points and two rebounds, and she grabbed a season-high five rebounds in her AU debut.
Forbes’ first AU season also set the stage for another WNBA opportunity. She caught the eye of WNBA scouts while competing in Nashville and signed a training camp deal with the Dallas Wings during Week Four. She was drafted 28th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, helped lead the Waverley Falcons to the 2024 NBL1 South championship, and spent time in New Zealand with Mainland Pouākai, where she set a league single-game record with 39 points.
Her college resume is equally impressive. Forbes appeared in 124 games across stops at California, Harvard, and USC. She averaged 11.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in her college career, along with 293 assists and 90 steals. She started all 35 games at USC as a graduate student, averaging 14.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, and earned All-Pac-12 honors. Her run through the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament earned her Most Outstanding Player recognition after she averaged 17.3 points per game and helped guide the Trojans to the title.
She also made her mark in the NCAA Tournament with six three-pointers against Kansas and a 36-point performance at Long Beach State, and she reached her 1,000th career point during the 2023-24 season. Forbes also excelled at Harvard, where she earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors, was a team captain, and averaged 14.1 points per game during her junior campaign.
Forbes’ return gives her the chance to build on the foundation created during her first AU season, sharpen her game, and be in a position to catch the eyes of WNBA coaches in Nashville.
AU Pro Basketball returns to Nashville, Tennessee, with elite talent and electrifying energy, for its fifth championship season on February 4, 2026, at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Tickets for the upcoming season are available now.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
