It's National Girls & Women in Sports Day!

Today we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and the timing of Athletes Unlimited's season opener this week in Nashville couldn’t be better. This annual observance, established in 1987, honors the achievements of female athletes, recognizes the importance of equal opportunities in sports, and inspires the next generation of women athletes. How are you celebrating this week? If you’re playing a sport, going for a run, or getting moving in any way, let me know!

Nashville's emergence as a women's basketball powerhouse takes another significant step forward as Athletes Unlimited (AU) begins its professional basketball season in the city. The league has chosen Nashville as its host city this year, moving from Dallas, Texas, bringing elite professional women's basketball to Music City. The league has an interesting format, where individual player performance determines rankings and champions, not necessarily the team they play for.

The faces of the league are also the faces of Athletes Unlimited – Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance have been a part of much of the promotion for this season. Alysha Clark hails from Tennessee and has also received a warm welcome home since she announced she would be participating in this season. Game play starts on Friday and you can watch the games on the WNBA League Pass App (only $35/year!).

Adding to Nashville's basketball momentum, an investment group has submitted a bid for a WNBA franchise. The proposed team name, Tennessee Summit, pays tribute to the legendary Pat Summit, whose impact on women's basketball continues to resonate throughout the state.

The involvement of WNBA legend Candace Parker in the investment group adds significant credibility to the bid. Parker, who played college basketball at the University of Tennessee under Pat Summit, brings both basketball expertise and business acumen to the project. Since her appointment as President of Adidas Women’s Basketball, she’s been successful in recruiting Satou Sabally, Aliyah Boston, Hailey Van Lith, and Kaleena Smith (their first high school NIL deal). They join a roster of athletes already signed to Adidas including Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Aaliyah Edwards, Nneka Ogwumike, Layshia Clarendon, Alysha Clark, Erica Wheeler, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. I think recruiting veterans and attracting college students entering the draft would be a smooth process.

Penned,

Angela 🤙🏾✨

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