Week 1 of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is in the books, and Team Gray dominated with a clean sweep of the league. Captain Allisha Gray leads AU with 2,011 points. If those numbers jump out at you, here’s a rundown of how scoring works in the AU.
And here’s a recap of this week’s action:
Team Gray over Team Hull, 88-67
Team Gray’s dominance started on opening night, beating Lexie Hull and company, 88-67. They won the opening quarter 21-9 and never looked back, cruising to victory. Individually, Gray had a whopping 741 points, with the second-highest total coming from her teammate Natasha Cloud with 551 points. Team Hull struggled all weekend, failing to win any of their three matchups.
Yeahhhh letting Allisha Gray pick Natasha Cloud might not be fair for everyone else.
Early ball pressure from Gray (& Grace dribbling right) blows up the timing of the Iverson cut.
Look at how Cloud helps on the cross screen underneath then pushes Tiff out to the perimeter. pic.twitter.com/zdZ1bd32d2
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) March 1, 2024
Team Sims over Team Mitchell, 94-91
This one came down to the wire, but Team Sims did just enough to hang on and win by three. Zia Cooke and Mitchell applied pressure, scoring 16 and 19 points. But, it wasn’t enough to overcome the big 3-point shots Sims hit in the fourth quarter or the free throws she converted late to secure the result.
Team Gray over Team Mitchell, 103-82
Can there be a superteam in the AU? If so, the Week 1 version of Team Gray might qualify. They had another blowout win with Gray, Cloud and Tiffany Mitchell combining for 74 points. Air Hearn led Team Mitchell with 20 points, but this one got away from them in the opening quarter and never got close again.
Team Sims over Team Hull, 92-88
Team Sims squeaked out another win in Week 1. They were up by 10 points to start the fourth, but Team Hull got within one with four minutes left in the game. Kierstan Bell and Sims were huge down the stretch, scoring seven of the team’s last nine points.
Team Mitchell over Team Hull, 90-77
Someone had to win in this matchup between the two winless teams, and Team Mitchell pulled it out. This was a breakout game for Zia Cooke, who led the team with 24 points. She did it shooting at a low efficiency of 36 percent. But Team Mitchell needed the volume to get baskets—and she got them. Hull tried to will her team to victory with 31 points, but they didn’t have enough firepower to compete. Ruthy Hebard also had an excellent game for team Hull with 15 points.
Team Gray over Team Sims, 107-103
Team Gray’s unbeaten week was capped off with a win versus Team Sims, 107-103. Down the stretch, Emily Engstler scored seven-consecutive points for Team Gray to squeak out the win. Team Sims had a balanced attack with five players in double figures, but missed too many baskets at critical moments to walk away with a win.
Upcoming action
We have our four captains ready to go: Allisha Gray (Gold), Tiffany Mitchell (Orange), Natasha Cloud (Blue) and Odyssey Sims (Purple). Week 2 begins on Thursday, Mar. 7.
Can Gray stay undefeated now that Mitchell and Cloud are off her team and captains themselves? What players will bounce back from their Week 1 performance? And will anyone catch up to Gray’s high point total?
Lots of basketball to go, and the action in Texas is just beginning to heat up.