Draft Takeaways: NaLyssa Smith Blends Experience Levels in Week 1 Draft
NaLyssa Smith found herself in a unique position as she sat down to draft her Week One Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball squad. As the only AU champion at the draft board, she understood what it takes to go all the way and the key team elements that make the journey possible.
For Smith, size was an early priority, and she made her first pick by choosing a legendary player whose reputation matches her presence under the hoop. Selecting Tina Charles was a no-brainer, and Smith expects her to raise the bar for the entire Glow squad.
“I think she’ll be huge. I mean, if Tina’s on any chart, I’m always gonna pick her first. Her name just already speaks to how good her game is. So she’s definitely somebody I’m not gonna pass up on,” Smith said.
She added more size with forward Emma Cannon, who carries a wealth of domestic and international experience.
One of the most discussed aspects of the 2026 AU roster is the variety of experience levels, spanning from veterans like Charles, to young stars who have already made names for themselves in their short pro careers, to emerging game-changers like JoJo Lacey, the only player in the field of 40 yet to make her pro debut.
Smith’s roster includes both ends of that experience spectrum. After snagging another veteran in Ariel Atkins, Smith drafted one of the biggest stars from the 2025 WNBA Draft class: Te-Hina Paopao.
She dipped further into that pool of young talent, selecting second-year pro Jacy Sheldon and undrafted 2025 rookie Deja Kelly, then set the stage for Lacey’s official pro debut.
“I think it’d be a good balance. I think the youngin’s can lean on the older people, and the older people always need young people to keep them young, so I think it’ll be good,” Smith said. “I think we’ll have energy. I think we’ll have pace. We got some strong bigs so I think we can play through the post a lot and just get out and run.”
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Hartley Lands Heavy Hitters
In her very first AU draft, Bria Hartley, heading up the Gold Rush’s Week One efforts, secured a pair of league staples for her roster, completing a triangle of experience that could set the tone for her team in major ways.
With her first pick in the snake-style draft, she claimed forward Isabelle Harrison, promptly followed by guard and two-time league league runner-up Odyssey Sims—both of whom have been competing in AU since its inception in 2022.
Hartley, who is returning from a knee injury suffered during her WNBA season with the Connecticut Sun, added more experience to the mix with veteran center Kiah Stokes, who along with Harrison and Sims, will provide another proven player.
Brown Drafts a Guard-Heavy Squad
Lexie Brown, another fixture in AU since her debut in 2022, found herself in the captain’s seat for the first time since that inaugural season. She made her priorities known when she drafted Shey Peddy, the scrappy guard and returning AU Defensive Player of the Year with her first selection to the Rhythm.
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Next, she added size, taking seven-year WNBA forward Brianna Turner, then turned her attention back to the guard position with another member of the 2025 Indiana Fever roster, first-year pro Bree Hall.
Brown then went for experience with Kia Nurse before adding three more guards to her roster: Jaylyn Sherrod, Aaliyah Nye, and Sequoia Holmes. Natasha Mack became her second pick in the forwards category, and at the conclusion of the draft, Brown’s was the only team without a center.
Still, her roster may prove to pack a punch with stars known for lights-out shooting ability and lockdown defense.
Full Week 1 rosters
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.
