Cat Osterman, Sheryl Swoopes join Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board

February 1, 2023, New York, N.Y. – Women’s sports icons Cat Osterman and Sheryl Swoopes have joined the Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board, lending their support and strategic advice to the organization as it continues to grow. For both legends, joining the Advisory Board builds on their already strong ties with the organization, as Osterman was the first champion in Athletes Unlimited history (2020 Softball) and Swoopes is the broadcast analyst for Athletes Unlimited Basketball. 

Osterman and Swoopes join an illustrious group of high-profile contributors from the worlds of sports, business and entertainment on the Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board, including U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team icon Abby Wambach; two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant; Thirty Five Ventures co-founder Rich Kleiman; Grand Slam champion and former world number one tennis star Caroline Wozniacki; ESPN broadcaster and four-time first-team All-American softball standout Jessica Mendoza; two-time Olympic medalist and captain of the USA Women’s National Volleyball team Jordan Larson; USA Volleyball Women’s National Team head coach Karch Kiraly; International Olympic Committee member and four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero, Turner Sports journalist Taylor Rooks and former player and past President of the United States Tennis Association Katrina Adams.  

In addition, later today Athletes Unlimited will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Adams and Kleiman will participate along with Athletes Unlimited Player Executive Committee member Lindsey McKone, and Volleyball athlete Molly McCage, as well as a group of Athletes Unlimited team members and youth athletes representing basketball, softball, lacrosse and volleyball. Athletes Unlimited today will also host a virtual stakeholder meeting, sharing updates about 2023 plans with athletes and partners. 

A three-time Olympian and four-time All-American, Osterman pitched for the USA National Team from 2001 to 2010 and competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2020 Olympics, earning a gold medal in 2004. She has earned four National Pro Fastpitch titles and was named Championship MVP three times. A native of Houston, Texas and a University of Texas standout, Osterman led the Longhorns to three Women’s College World Series appearances in 2003, 2005 and 2006. She also became the only softball individual to win USA Softball’s National Player of the Year honors three times after earning the honor each of those seasons. Osterman was the champion of Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural softball season in 2020, and finished her professional career with Athletes Unlimited in 2021. 

A member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Swoopes was the first player signed by the WNBA and won a championship at every level of competition, including three Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000 and 2004 with Team USA) and four WNBA titles (1997-2000 with the Houston Comets). She was a three-time WNBA MVP (2000, 2002 and 2005), a six-time WNBA All-Star, and was named one of the league’s Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011. Swoopes first joined Athletes Unlimited as the broadcast analyst for Athletes Unlimited Basketball in 2021, a role she will once again play later this month. Both Swoopes and Osterman are members of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. 

“In addition to being champions both on and off the field, Cat and Sheryl have been strong supporters of Athletes Unlimited from the beginning, so we are thrilled to formally welcome them to our Advisory Board,” said Jonathan Soros, co-founder of Athletes Unlimited. “As Athletes Unlimited continues to grow, our organization and our athletes will undoubtedly benefit from their experience and leadership.” 

“I am very honored and excited to be part of the Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing in the first two seasons of Athletes Unlimited, and always expressed a desire to stay involved once I hung up the cleats,” Osterman said. “I can’t wait to be part of the Board and continue to support Athletes Unlimited and its innovative ideas.” 

“It is truly an honor to be a part of the Athletes Unlimited Advisory Board,” said Swoopes. “I believe in everything AU stands for and represents, especially when it comes to female athletes. I look forward to using my voice to help further more opportunities for women in sports.”