Week 3 Draft Takeaways: Gardner Sticks to her Captain's Blueprint
Through the first three weeks of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Season 5, size has been a priority for guards sitting down at the draft board, but Rebekah Gardner remained the exception to that trend as she drafted her Rhythm squad for Week Three.
Gardner was the only repeat captain set to draft for Week Three, and for the second week in a row, she snatched up a guard with her first pick. With the second overall pick, she took her chance to draft the captain of last week’s Gold Rush squad, Kaitlyn Chen–someone she knows will help be “the brains” of her squad.
“I feel like the brains of the team starts at the point guard. So yeah, it was a tough choice between a point guard and a post, but I do feel like, because there’s not that many posts, you can get away with playing small,” Gardner explained. “I don’t feel like you can get away with playing without a point guard.”
Although Chen missed out on crucial win points in Week Two, after landing at the top of the leaderboard in Week One, she remains one of the competition’s best playmakers. She currently sits first overall in assists with 4.8 per game and stands fifth in field goal percentage.
Gardner followed that first pick with forward Emma Cannon, then turned to two players who exploded for season highs to cap Week Two–veteran center Tina Charles and young guard Aaliyah Nye. She filled out her squad with three more guards and two more forwards.
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In addition to her solidified draft strategy, Gardner feels confident in the approach she took in the captain’s role in Week Two. After learning from Alysha Clark, who served as her team captain on the Week One Eclipse team, Gardner has been intentional about taking a hands-on approach.
It’s an approach that helped her become the only undefeated captain in Week Two. Although two teammates from that Glow squad, Odyssey Sims and Natasha Mack, will now compete against her as captains themselves, Gardner feels ready to replicate the team strategy she established.
“I was actually very hands-on. I feel like the first week being with [Clark], I saw how successful we were and how involved she was. I feel like, once I saw that, I knew what it took. So I was definitely more hands-on. I definitely collaborated with Coach [Kia Vaughn], but I had a vision, and I was like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna stick to this vision,’ and it worked out,” Gardner said.
After collaborating with Edniesha Curry last week, Gardner will work with Vaughn for Week Three.
“She just retired, so she knows. She’s like one of us, but still has that experience. So I feel like even as we were picking the team, it was very collaborative, and I feel like she has a great knowledge for the game. So I’m excited,” Gardner said of her Week Three pairing.
Sims Goes for Speed, Speed, Speed
Odyssey Sims, who became the first player in AU Pro Basketball history to reach 25,000 career leaderboard points on Saturday, is no stranger to the captain’s position. The Gold Rush captain holds the most experience of all Week Three captains and had a clear vision for her team. She selected Kiah Stokes before claiming a trio of guards–Kierstan Bell, Te-Hina Paopao, and Bree Hall–who push the pace of an offense and can keep up with Sims’ own aggressive style of play.
When describing her draft strategy, Sims emphasized the importance of that offensive pace, saying her priority was “speed, speed, speed.”
She followed those selections with Week Two Rhythm captain Aneesah Morrow, who, despite a winless week with the Rhythm, ranks fourth in the league in leaderboard points per game.
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Peddy Picks the Vets
In Shey Peddy’s first AU draft, she prioritized experience by selecting Alysha Clark, who captained the Eclipse for Weeks One and Two and will be returning to the team in purple for the third straight week, and the league’s second-leading scorer, Kia Nurse.
For Peddy, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Clark’s defensive drive should create a match made in heaven. Meanwhile, Nurse, Teana Muldrow, and 2023 champion NaLyssa Smith add proven scoring ability to the Eclipse roster.
Mack Claims Rising AU Rookies
In her first selection as an AU captain, Team Glow’s Natasha Mack picked up Mercedes Russell, who is coming off a season-high 23-point outing. Then, she snatched up two AU rookies who have been making waves in the league. Mack selected Kayana Trailor, who increased her minutes significantly in Week Two for the Rhythm.
With her third pick, she chose Sarah Ashlee Barker, who proved herself an aggressive guard on both ends of the floor while scoring in double figures in five of her six appearances this month.
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Week 3 Begins Wednesday
Week Two begins on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with a morning game between Rhythm and Glow at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT on ESPN and the ESPN app. Gold Rush and Eclipse will tip off at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT, also on ESPN and the ESPN app.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
