Athletes Unlimited

Who's ready to make history? ?? We’re thrilled to announce the General Managers and Head Coaches who will lead the charge for the AUSL 2025 season. These legends bring unparalleled expertise, passion, and championship pedigrees to our league, setting the stage for a new era in professional softball. ? General Managers: - Lisa Fernandez - Jenny Dalton-Hill - Cat Osterman - Dana Sorensen ? Head Coaches: - Howard Dobson - Stacey Nuveman Deniz - Kelly Kretschman - Alisa Goler With an incredible roster of talent—including USA Softball stars Carley Hoover and Dejah Mulipola—and ESPN as our founding broadcast partner, the AUSL is ready to deliver world-class action starting in June 2025. We’re just getting started. Stay tuned for updates on team names, logos, and schedules coming soon. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eM5zFGJg #BeUnlimited #AUSL

?? Athletes Unlimited is proud to be named one of Front Office Sports' Most Impactful Sports Organizations of 2024! This recognition celebrates the power of sports to drive meaningful change beyond the game. At Athletes Unlimited, we’re committed to setting new standards in: ?? Innovation ?? Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion ?? Sustainability ?? Community Engagement Thank you to Front Office Sports and Sports Innovation Lab for this recognition and for spotlighting organizations that make an impact. To everyone in the Athletes Unlimited community—this honor is yours too. You inspire us to keep pushing boundaries and to continue proving that sports can be a powerful force for progress. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/eBDQHfEP #BeUnlimited #ImpactAward #SportsLeadership

?? We’re honored to be a Best Place to Work in Sports in 2024! ?? Athletes Unlimited is thrilled to announce that we’ve been named one of Sports Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in Sports for 2024! This recognition reflects our commitment to building a purpose-driven, inclusive, and empowering environment where both women’s sports and our team members thrive. With 65 employees, and growing, united by a shared vision, we’re proud to propel women’s sports forward while fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eDJFMBUx #BeUnlimited #BestPlacesToWork #WomensSports

I gave this speech last Monday as our season closed, the day before a few other things shifted in the world. And I stand by it even more today. We need spaces built by and for women that allow for the fullness of their humanity. We need to see women's joy. We need to see women's aggression. We need to see women's ambition. We need to see women lose and then get up the next morning ready to fight again. We need to see women be silly. We need to see women be powerful. We need to see women be confident. We need to see women be unsure and to do it anyway. We need to see one woman be all of those things. We need to see women win. Because it’s amazing women like these, and those who make them visible, who are going to change this world. We have a lot of work left to do. Thank you to Athletes Unlimited for being that space and to all of these women for filling it.

?? AU Pro Hoops takes Nashville! We had an incredible "Welcome Week" in Nashville last week with so many inspiring moments-- a press conference, reception, basketball clinic with local youth, time spent with Vanderbilt University Women's Basketball, and meetings with local community and business leaders. Thank you so much to the city of Nashville, the Nashville Sports Council, and everyone we met with for the warm welcome! We can't wait to see you all there soon ?? #BeUnlimited

Thank you Terri Carmichael Jackson and Sportico for inviting me to to speak at the RISE Women’s Sports event alongside Jayne Appel Marinelli , Jasmine Robinson , and Becca Roux. I was thrilled to join this incredible lineup and important conversation around the shifting landscape of women’s sports.

Coming off an incredible Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball “Welcome Week” in Nashville and I’m more excited than ever that AU Pro Basketball is headed to Nashville in February. Let me tell you why… ?? We are going to be the first pro women’s sports leagues to operate in the city of Nashville! (Hard to believe that the 21st largest market in the U.S and one of the fastest growing in the country still does not have a women’s pro team) ?? Tennessee has one of the deepest and strongest connections to the sport of basketball, having been a hotbed for youth and college talent for decades. Being in Nashville, you are surrounded by women’s basketball history and so much passion for the sport. ?? Nashville is a sports city and the appetite for women’s pro sports is just off the charts.?? ??? The city is so organized in its civic efforts to engage with us.? From the Mayor on down, the city is so intentional about wanting to bring and embrace women’s pro sports. We felt all of that excitement, and more, this weekend, as our players and staff members met with so many new stakeholders, and community members. The way Nashville has greeted us, has been unprecedented. From our relationship with Mayor Freddie O'Connell and the Nashville Sports Council to local business leaders and community organizers, the city has embraced AU Pro Basketball with open arms and enthusiasm. Thank you especially to Scott Ramsey, Monica Fawknotson, Brenda Gadd, J. D., Adrienne Siemers, Nancy VanReece, Jacob Kupin, and Sheila Gibson. While women’s pro sports are growing, there is still so much more untapped demand. Of the top 30 markets in the U.S., only 18 have a pro women’s sports league operating in them. There is so much potential for women’s sports to enter untapped markets. And if there’s one thing we can clearly see from this last year alone, it’s that the interest and demand has always been there – it’s up to us to meet it with opportunity.

Thank you to the city of Nashville for the warm welcome to Music City as we prepare to kick off season 4 of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball in February. It was an action packed week highlighted by a press conference, reception, basketball clinic with local youth, and meetings with local community and business leaders. Excited to bring professional women’s basketball back to Tennessee and share what we’re building together. ?????

?? What an incredible night celebrating 50 years of the Women's Sports Foundation at their Annual Salute to Women in Sports Gala! ?? Athletes Unlimited was honored to be in attendance at Cipriani Wall Street for this milestone event, which not only highlighted the remarkable accomplishments of athletes, coaches, and leaders but also celebrated all of the girls and women they inspire along the way. 2024 has been an extraordinary year for women’s sports, with sold-out arenas, record-breaking viewership, and major broadcasting deals. These achievements are a testament to five decades of tireless advocacy by WSF, who continue to pave the way for gender equity in sports. We are so grateful to be part of this movement! ???? Amber Sabathia Sarah Francis Jessie Katz Cristina Alesci Ana Drucker Allie Kleva Jon Patricof Jonathan Soros Danielle Gaw #BeUnlimited

?? We're thrilled to welcome Danielle Gaw, our new Director of Partnership Sales, to the Athletes Unlimited family! "I'm beyond excited to be joining Athletes Unlimited. The opportunity to join the growing movement of women's sports is a dream come true!" Welcome to the team, Danielle! Let's get to work ?? #BeUnlimited