NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Athletes Unlimited announced a final roster Thursday featuring 20 returning players and 20 newcomers for its fifth season of women’s basketball starting Feb. 4 in Nashville.
Among the returners is UConn legend Tina Charles, the WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds and made field goals, along with fellow former Huskies Kia Nurse, Kiah Stokes, Kaitlyn Chen and Bria Hartley. Other WNBA veterans include Ariel Atkins, Alysha Clark, Odyssey Sims, Aerial Powers, Brianna Turner and Isabelle Harrison.
Lexie Brown, chair of the AU Pro Basketball Player executive committee, also will have her father, former Celtics star Dee Brown, on hand. His title is player enhancement specialist. He will be working with Danielle Viglione helping coaches Zak Buncik, Edniesha Curry, Chaz Franklin and Kia Vaughn.
Other players competing include Aneesha Morrow, Nalyssa Smith, Jacy Sheldon, Te-Hina Paopao, Zia Cooke, Deja Kelly, Jaylyn Sherrod and Aaliyah Nye.
Megan Perry, vice president of basketball for Athletes Unlimited, said this roster features players who want to test themselves against the best. AU’s format features 5-on-5 basketball.
“The depth across all 40 spots is exceptional, and it’s going to make this one of the most challenging and compelling seasons we’ve had,” Perry said.
The 2026 season will be played for a second straight year at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville from Feb. 4 to March 1.
Japan stop for Project B: Project B, the new women’s and men’s basketball league, will make a stop in Tokyo in April 2027.
Tokyo is the first city the organization has officially announced. Its tournament will be one of seven stops on Project B’s global circuit season format that begins in November and runs through April. Each city will host a 10-day event that crowns a local champion and feeds into a season-long championship race.
There will be men’s and women’s tournament games in Tokyo being played at the Toyota Arena, with play going from March 26-April 4.
“We’re honored to bring Project B to Tokyo alongside our partners in Japan,” said Keisuke Mitsui, head of Project B Japan. “Tokyo sits at the intersection of global culture, innovation, and basketball, with a fan base that truly understands and loves the game. Japan has shown what’s possible when you invest in players and fans, and Toyota Arena will be an iconic stage for our athletes and a destination for basketball fans around the world.”
Both tournaments will have 66 players divided into six teams. The league has already announced 10 women’s players headlined by Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Mitchell.