NOTES: Athletes Unlimited well represented in WNBA

By W.G. RAMIREZ

Editors note: this article has been updated since originally being published, from 18 players to 17. Queen Egbo did not play in 2024 and has been removed from the story.

Of the 41 players who competed at some point during the 2024 Athletes Unlimited season, 17 are set to begin with WNBA teams when the season tips off Tuesday.

2024 Athletes Unlimited champion Allisha Gray is one of 18 players from this past season on Opening Day rosters in the WNBA. Photo courtesy: Atlanta Dream

It comes as no surprise, as the league's player executive committee honed in on recruiting more WNBA-caliber players for the AU's third season, which saw Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray win the overall championship.

"It's always exciting to see our players continuing to play year-round, I'm sure there are some more who are playing year-round overseas, I just don't know who and where yet. But yeah, I think that's what we ultimately want to get to, is that people playing AU ... continue to play," player-executive committee member Sydney Colson said. "It's not just a once-a-year thing, so that we'll continue to be competitive, people are staying in shape."

The Dream, Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks each have three Athletes Unlimited alum on their teams.

Joining Gray on the Dream are Laeticia Amihere and Haley Jones. The Fever features 2023 AU Defensive Player of the Year Lexie Hull, along with Kelsey Mitchell and Grace Berger. The new-look, rebuilt Sparks head into their season with PEC-chairwoman Lexie Brown, Rae Burrell and Zia Cooke.

Twp WNBA teams have two players from AU, including the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, with Colson and Kierstan Bell looking for their third ring this season. The Dallas Wings have Maddy Siegrist and Kalani Brown on their roster.

The Phoenix Mercury acquired AU charter member Natasha Cloud during the offseason, the first time in her career she won't be playing for the Washington Mystics, who happened to have one of this past season's bright spots from AU, Emily Engstler. The Connecticut Sun have Tiffany Mitchell.

Lastly, but certainly not least, a crowd favorite wherever she plays, 2022 AU Defensive Player of the Year Isabelle Harrison will play her second season with the Chicago Sky.

Colson said the likelihood of people coming into the WNBA campaign out of shape or getting injured decreases because they're in a flow and playing a lot of the year, without the long travel of playing overseas.

"It's really cool," Colson said. "It'll be cool to see players once again at road games (and) when they come here and play. Just keep elevating the level of players in the league"

TEARS OF JOY - It's been quite a ride for Kate Martin, who attended the WNBA Draft to support her former Iowa teammate, Caitlin Clark, while not thinking anything more could come from it. And while fans rejoiced after it was announced she made the final roster cut on Monday, Martin said she had one reaction when she found out a couple of days earlier.

"I cried," she said. "I was so excited. I just felt like a lot of hard work was paying off. Whenever you come into a team like this, who are back-to-back world champions, you don't really no what your odds are going to be. I was really proud of myself and I was really happy that I gave myself the opportunity to make the team and be alongside some really great teammates.”

FULL COURT PRESS - If you haven't begun watching the ESPN+ four-part series "Full Court Press," what are you waiting for? The incredible series that followed the world of elite women’s basketball players Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice premiered Saturday.

In the first episode, "Dream Chasers," we see the human side of Clark: "The hardest part about being Caitlin Clark? I’d say is having to feel like you’re always on. You just have bad days, and there are days where you don’t want to talk to anyone. But somebody comes up to you, and this is their 10-second interaction with you. So you better smile and be kind. But at the same time, it’s just like, you just want to be normal sometimes."

Clark also spoke about the aftermath of the 2023 National Championship, in which sports fans villainized Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese and made the game more about their rivalry.

"That's the only thing people wanted to talk about when we just went on this magical run and united so many people," Clark said. "And that was frustrating to me."

NO RIZZ - I was shocked to learn former UCLA women's basketball star Charisma Osborne had been waived by the Phoenix Mercury. After all, I have been saying she was a steal in the third round of April's draft, and though for sure she'd prove to be a sleeper pick. In being a leader for the Bruins, I thought Osborne could adapt well with a stacked roster looking for role players. Osborne's maturity level is second to none, and she can still be a viable asset to whoever grabs her as a free agent. Osborne averaged 13.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in 32 contests for UCLA last season.

"I'm not sure I've ever seen her mentality more consistent, more steady than it has been so far this year," UCLA coach Cori Close said about Osborne just before the season started. "It's a commitment we made early on that we were going to have parallel paths of commitment of excellence. I would say 80-90% of our players have a dream to play in the WNBA. ... (We) have really been committed from studying film, to analytics, to our individualized player development plans, that they reflect a commitment to not only prepare them for being successful in college, but for the next level as well."

ACES ROOKIES - Aces beat writer Callie Lawson-Freeman wrote about the team’s rookies bracing for a rude awakening in their WNBA debuts, especially considering they’ll be going up against Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi, known to welcome first-year players abrasively. “Elbows?” Aces coach Becky Hammon told Lawson-Freeman on Monday, with a laugh. “(Taurasi) is going to smile at you while she’s slitting your throat.” Read the full story HERE.

BACK FOR HER THIRD - Veteran broadcaster Cindy Brunson is back for her third season as the play-by-play voice of the Phoenix Mercury. She joined Sports360AZ reporter Eliav Gabay for a four-plus minute video preview of the team, including Diana Taurasi's 20th season in the league. Watch the full video HERE.

WHEELS UP - The long-awaited regular-season chartering program for the beginning of the 2024 WNBA season began Monday, with the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx flying private for their opening-day games in Connecticut and Seattle, respectively. ESPN reporter Alexa Phillippou reported that personnel from multiple teams said they have not received word from the league on when they will be permitted to charter. Read the full story HERE.

TIME TO CAPITALIZE - "The WNBA stands on the precipice of a mainstream explosion — but the league must still get broadcast and other investment deals in place to build a stable financial foundation, according to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert," wrote Rob Wile, for NBCNews.com. Wile detailed Engelbert's conversation with “NBC Nightly News" Sunday anchor Hallie Jackson.