Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins is the most recent WNBA participant to affix Unmatched on a aid contract. Atkins, a two-time WNBA All-Star and the No. 7 general choose within the 2018 WNBA Draft, has but to be assigned to a selected membership, however she’ll present harm insurance coverage for groups lacking too many gamers with accidents.
Ariel Atkins had been enjoying for the Turkish skilled membership Fenerbahce this winter, however she’s now parted methods with them.
Unmatched has handled a myriad of accidents
Unmatched, a brand new skilled 3-on-3 girls’s basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is halfway by means of its inaugural season. To date, 4 different gamers have signed aid 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 aid participant contracts have been provided to gamers on account of a excessive variety of accidents, with the Laces Membership even needing to cancel a recreation earlier this month as a result of truth not sufficient gamers had been out there. Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Younger, Brittney Sykes, DiJonai Carrington, and Jordin Canada have all needed to miss substantial time with numerous accidents, amongst different gamers. Accidents additionally impacted Unmatched’s 1v1 event, which featured 23 of the league’s 36 gamers.
What Ariel Atkins brings to Unmatched
Ariel Atkins was one of many Mystics’ most constant gamers final yr. showing in all 40 video games and averaging 14.9 factors per recreation. She shot 42.7% from the sector 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 Staff in every of her first 5 seasons. Regardless of being undersized — Atkins is 5’8 — she’ll deliver a stage of versatility to any workforce she joins and will thrive within the fast-paced 3-on-3 atmosphere.
Atkins is the fourth Mystic participant taking part in Unmatched, with Stefanie Dolson (Laces), Shakira Austin (Lunar Owls), and Brittney Sykes (Rose) being the others. So, there’s an honest likelihood Atkins will hyperlink up with one among her WNBA teammates throughout her Unmatched tenure. It’s additionally doable she’ll play on a number of golf equipment relying on harm wants. Unmatched play will proceed by means of March seventeenth.
