Athletes Unlimited pauses its winter basketball league amid a shifting women's hoops landscape

Athletes Unlimited has decided to pause its basketball league this winter, the organization announced Friday.

"We're incredibly proud of the role that Athletes Unlimited has played in reshaping professional women's basketball," said a statement posted on the league's social media sites. “By pioneering an athlete-centered model, we've help create new opportunities for players and demonstrated what's possible when athletes are at the center of the game.”

AU, which plays its games in the winter, has faced competition from Unrivaled and now Project B.

“As women's basketball enters an exciting new era of investment and expansion, we believe this is the right time to thoughtfully evaluate how Athletes Unlimited can make the greatest long-term impact.”

Athletes Unlimited started in 2020 and has softball, volleyball and lacrosse leagues in which there are no team owners and players share directly in league profits. Basketball, which started playing games in 2022, was the first one that had an already well-established professional domestic league in the WNBA.

Dozens of current and former WNBA players have played in Athletes Unlimited, which served as a domestic alternative for those who played overseas.

The league played in Las Vegas, Dallas and Nashville, Tennessee, from January to March.

Only softball is still active, with volleyball also being paused Friday.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball