Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins is the newest WNBA participant to hitch Unrivaled on a reduction contract. Atkins, a two-time WNBA All-Star and the No. 7 total decide within the 2018 WNBA Draft, has but to be assigned to a selected membership, however she’ll present damage insurance coverage for groups lacking too many gamers with accidents.
Ariel Atkins had been taking part in for the Turkish skilled membership Fenerbahce this winter, however she’s now parted methods with them.
Unrivaled has handled a myriad of accidents
Unrivaled, a brand new skilled 3-on-3 ladies’s basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is halfway by way of its inaugural season. So far, 4 different gamers have signed reduction participant contracts: Dallas Wings ahead NaLyssa Smith, New York Liberty ahead Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman, and former Lynx guard Kiki Jefferson.
These reduction participant contracts have been provided to gamers on account of a excessive variety of accidents, with the Laces Club even needing to cancel a sport earlier this month as a result of truth not sufficient gamers had been out there. Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Brittney Sykes, DiJonai Carrington, and Jordin Canada have all needed to miss substantial time with numerous accidents, amongst different gamers. Injuries additionally impacted Unrivaled’s 1v1 match, which featured 23 of the league’s 36 gamers.
What Ariel Atkins brings to Unrivaled
Ariel Atkins was one of many Mystics’ most constant gamers final 12 months. showing in all 40 video games and averaging 14.9 factors per sport. She shot 42.7% from the sphere and 35.7% from three en path to the highest-scoring season of her profession.
The 28-year-old has averaged double figures in every of her 7 WNBA seasons, She’s additionally an elite defender who was the primary participant in WNBA historical past to make an All-Defensive Team in every of her first 5 seasons. Despite being undersized — Atkins is 5’8 — she’ll convey a stage of versatility to any group she joins and will thrive within the fast-paced 3-on-3 atmosphere.
Atkins is the fourth Mystic participant collaborating in Unrivaled, with Stefanie Dolson (Laces), Shakira Austin (Lunar Owls), and Brittney Sykes (Rose) being the others. So, there’s an honest probability Atkins will hyperlink up with considered one of her WNBA teammates throughout her Unrivaled tenure. It’s additionally doable she’ll play on a number of golf equipment relying on damage wants. Unrivaled play will proceed by way of March seventeenth.