Scoop: Athletes Unlimited hoops league will return to Nashville
The Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball league reached a multi-year deal to continue playing in Nashville.
Why it matters: Athletes Unlimited gives fans the chance to see some of the best women's pro basketball players in the world.
What they're saying: Athletes Unlimited CEO and co-founder Jon Patricof tells Axios that encouraging community support and strong attendance inspired the league to return to Nashville.
"The season has far exceeded our expectations," Patricof says. "We're talking about really big improvements and growth over what we've seen in the prior year."
By the numbers: The season is ongoing, but organizers say attendance for games at Municipal Auditorium is projected to be up 77% compared with last season in Dallas.
Season ticket sales are up 260%. Merchandise sales and social media engagement are up as well.
Zoom out: Nancy VanReece, a former Metro Council member and current auditorium board member, tells Axios she's encouraged to hear the league created 906 seasonal jobs.
She says the auditorium board "is beyond thrilled to have been able to see both the incredible community gathered in our space and important seasonal employment for our treasured hospitality industry."
Between the lines: Athletes Unlimited is a professional league featuring players from the WNBA and Olympic squads. Alysha Clark, who played for Mt. Juliet High followed by Belmont and Middle Tennessee State, is one of the local stars participating in the Athletes Unlimited league this season.
Athletes Unlimited uses a creative approach that tracks players' individual performances, kind of like a fantasy hoops.
What's next: The success of Athletes Unlimited comes at the same time a local ownership group is seeking to bring a WNBA expansion franchise to Nashville. The support is another sign of Nashville's appetite for women's pro sports.
"Now having this relationship (with Nashville) in place allows us to build on that for the long term," Patricof says. "We have fans coming from the region and the country and we will now have the runway to begin those efforts to market, promote the upcoming season and also build deeper relationships."
If you go: The season concludes Sunday and tickets are still available for the final round of games.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
17 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Steve Jobs' daughter Eve is marrying a British Olympian — and the guest list is wild
Eve Jobs, the youngest daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is reportedly set to marry British Olympic equestrian Harry Charles this summer in what is shaping up to be one of the most high-profile weddings of the season. The ceremony in August will take place in the Cotswolds, a countryside enclave known for its celebrity residents and royal connections, according to Tatler. Jobs, 26, a Stanford graduate and accomplished equestrian herself, is also making a name in the fashion world, with modeling credits for Louis Vuitton and appearances on Paris runways. Her fiancé, Charles, 25, clinched a gold medal in team jumping at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The couple made their public debut at the Games last summer and reportedly became engaged shortly after. They share a mutual passion for equestrian sports, with Jobs once posting a congratulatory message after Charles' Olympic victory: 'TEAM GOLD!!!!!! Beyond proud of you my love!!!!' Guests expected to attend the wedding include former Vice President Kamala Harris, a longtime confidante of Laurene Powell Jobs, Eve's mother and one of the wealthiest philanthropists in the world. British royalty may also make an appearance, with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi reportedly on the guest list, alongside tech heiresses like Jennifer and Phoebe Gates, daughters of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Eve Jobs, born in 1998, grew up in Palo Alto with immense wealth but a deliberately grounded upbringing. Her father famously restricted his children from using the very devices he helped create. Her mother has stated publicly that the family's estimated $21.7 billion fortune will not be passed down 'If I live long enough, it ends with me,' she told the New York Times in 2020. Rather than rely on her family name, Jobs has forged her own path. She made her mark as both a competitive showjumper and a rising figure in high fashion. She is signed with DNA Models and has appeared on the cover of Vogue. Jobs' siblings — Reed, 33, and Erin, 29 — are expected to attend, but it remains unclear whether her half-sister, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, will be present. Lisa, now 47, has had a complicated public history with her late father, though she was reportedly by his side during his final days before he died in October 2011. Fashion watchers are speculating on Jobs' choice of dress. Known for her modern style and designer affiliations, she could opt for a couture piece — or perhaps even a subtle nod to her father's signature wardrobe with a design by Issey Miyake, the creator of Steve Jobs' signature black turtleneck.
Los Angeles Times
44 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Abomination': Musk targets Trump's massive spending bill, as it faces hurdles in Senate
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was already at the briefing room lectern Tuesday when Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a special advisor to President Trump until just last week, launched into a scathing rebuke targeting his signature legislation. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' Musk wrote on his social media platform, X. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.' 'Shame on those who voted for it,' he added. 'You know you did wrong. You know it.' It was the latest, sharpest critique of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' making its way through Congress from Musk, who ended his tenure as a special government employee last week despite his efforts to stay on, according to an Axios report. In a CBS interview aired last week, Musk also called the bill a disappointment. 'I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,' he said, 'but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion.' The Trump administration had already been on defense over the future of the bill, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would result in a $3.8-trillion increase to the national debt over 10 years. House Republicans approved the measure in late May. But multiple Republicans in the Senate, where the party holds a slim majority, have balked at its effects on the deficit, as well as several major proposals in the legislation that would result in millions of Americans losing access to Medicaid coverage. One GOP senator, Joni Ernst of Iowa, drew national criticism over the weekend after responding to constituent concerns regarding Medicaid cuts at a town hall last week by saying, 'well, we are all going to die.' The exchange put threats to Medicaid in the legislation back in the headlines, forcing the White House to put out a press release on Monday with the subject line: 'MYTHBUSTER: No, People Will Not 'Literally Die' with the One Big Beautiful Bill.' 'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,' Leavitt said at the briefing, asked to respond to Musk's X post. 'It doesn't change the president's opinion.' The bill would also cut clean energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration, which have benefited Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla. Trump has also bucked Musk on other matters in recent days. Despite Musk's opposition, Trump brokered an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside of the United States with the backing of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, a Musk rival. The president also withdrew Jared Isaacman, reportedly an ally of Musk, as his nominee for NASA administrator. Musk's rocket ship company, SpaceX, relies heavily on government contracts.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Scoop: Dems seek DOJ docs on McIver charging decision
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is demanding documents and other information from Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Justice Department's decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Axios has learned. Why it matters: The investigation marks a new chapter in Democrats' growing conflict with the Trump administration over its efforts to prosecute officials from other branches of government. Raskin, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, could run into considerable roadblocks in his probe as he lacks the ability to issue subpoenas. His outreach to Bondi signals a potential full-blown investigation should House Democrats return to power in 2026, however. Driving the news: In a letter to Bondi first obtained by Axios, Raskin argued the charges are "in violation of long-standing ... policies designed to prevent exactly this type of politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power." He pointed to reporting that the DOJ did not consult the Public Integrity Section before filing the charges — a departure from rules around the prosecution of members of Congress and congressional staffers. Raskin noted that the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, writing that she has abandoned "any pretense of legal independence or official neutrality." The DOJ and the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey did not immediately respond to requests for comment. What's next: Raskin's letter includes a list of eight questions for Bondi that he wants answered by June 10. The questions center around how the decision was made to prosecute McIver — as well as to bring and then drop charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Raskin is also requesting documents and communications related to the two prosecutions, including any legal analyses or records of discussions between the DOJ and the White House. State of play: The Justice Department charged McIver last month with assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement based on video of her elbowing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The incident occurred during a chaotic scuffle as police were arresting Baraka for allegedly trespassing at Delany Hall, a migrant detention facility in Newark. The charges against Baraka were later dropped, but McIver was charged soon after. McIver has alleged she was the one who was assaulted and accused the DOJ of trying to intimidate lawmakers into stopping unannounced visits to ICE facilities. What they're saying: Raskin's letter comes as part of what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) described as "collective action" in defense of McIver.
