Sadly, Athletes Unlimited Basketball and Season Three is all said and done. This season allowed fans to see records fall as they enjoyed stellar efforts on the hardwood. The final doubleheader was fitting as the winning teams scored over 100 points. That being said, here is a recap of Games 23 and 24 along with the Season Three champion.
Game 23: Team Bell ends on a high note with a W over Team Cloud
Credit: Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited
Given the theme of stellar offense, Kierstan Bell and company decided to add their names to the record books. Bell’s squad hit 19 three-points on 48 attempts in their 111 – 90 win over Natasha Cloud‘s team. Both totals are Athletes Unlimited Basketball single-game records as Kelsey Mitchell and Bell each hit five three-pointers in the win. Mitchell took home MVP 1 honors with 25 points as the team captain scored 21, taking MVP 2 honors.
Additionally, three other players on Team Bell reached double-figures: Zia Cooke with 17 points, Theresa Plaisance with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Emily Engstler with 11 points. Engstler was a force on the boards with 19 caroms, 13 of which were in the first 20 minutes of the contest. This set the mark for most rebounds in any half in league history. In total, Engstler nabbed 52 boards throughout the three games in the week.
we weren’t joking!!!@em__baller | 📺 @WNBA App https://t.co/kHs2YdrFxS pic.twitter.com/VEMxONLDqE
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) March 24, 2024
Tiffany Mitchell won MVP 3 honors for Team Cloud as she led the squad with 32 points, her 11th straight 20+ point game. Haley Jones ended her rookie season in AU Hoops with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
Game 24: Team Sims and Team Gray Concludes Athletes Unlimited Basketball
Credit: @AUProSports (Twitter/X)
The Season Three finale was an even bigger blowout as Odyssey Sims led her team to a 103 – 75 win over Allisha Gray‘s team. Sims led all scorers with 31 points while having eight dimes in the victory. Air Hearn added 20 points and seven caroms for Team Sims. Also, Ty Young scored 13 points, Laeticia Amihere had 12, and Essence Carson contributed 11.
finishing the year with a Team Sims win 🧡#AUProHoops | 📺 @WNBA App pic.twitter.com/Xv3Sb18PHi
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) March 24, 2024
Gray scored 19 points for her team in defeat as Taj Cole put in 17 points, Maddy Siegrist 15, and Lexie Hull 11 for Team Gray. The team lost three of the four quarters in this matchup but it was not all bad for Gray on this night.
Athletes Unlimited Basketball Season Three Award Winners
Without question, Gray had a mission after finishing fourth on the leaderboard last season. The Olympic Gold Medalist adds another one to her collection, winning Season Three of Athletes Unlimited Basketball with 6,918 leaderboard points. Gray broke the record set by the inaugural winner of the league Tianna Hawkins (6,831). She tied Hawkins for the most Game MVP honors in a single season with 11.
Your 2024 #AUProHoops Champion…
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) March 24, 2024
Gold Medal Lish 🥇 pic.twitter.com/YTL0r8tsGk
Sims came on strong to finish second with 6,046 points after placing third last season. The talented guard led all of AU Hoops in assists (117) and third in steals with 23. She is the first AU Basketball player to be a team captain every week in successive seasons. Bell and her 5,689 was good enough for third on the leaderboard as she was second in MVP points (480).
Lastly, Cloud placed fourth after ending last season 13th on the leaderboard and was second back in the 2022 season. She has 17 double-doubles and was behind Sims in assists this season with 113.
All things considered, Engstler was as dominant a defensive player as this league has ever seen, winning DPOY. She led the way in rebounds and blocks while finishing second in steals
the 2024 #AUProHoops Defensive Player of the Year is none other than, Emily Engstler 🙌
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) March 24, 2024
in her first season with #AUProHoops, she set the Single-Season Blocks Record and Single-Game Rebounds Record.
congratulations, @em__baller 🥳 pic.twitter.com/gwOf9eSYAK
The Minnesota Lynx forward was on the All-Defensive Team with Cloud, Hull, Sydney Colson, and Amihere. Finally, T. Mitchell won the Newcomer of the Year award as she was lights out from beyond the at 47.6 percent.
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