OKLAHOMA CITY — Athletes Unlimited has announced the athletes selected to participate in the inaugural season of the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), with a live draft taking place on Wednesday, January 29. The draft included 33 former and current members of the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT), including 19 athletes from the 2024 season. In its first year, the league will consist of four teams competing in a 30-game season, with matchups held in 6-8 different cities across the U.S. Starting in 2026, AUSL will transition to a city-based league format.
View the AUSL announcement here »
The upcoming season will feature six U.S. Olympic Silver Medalists from 2020: Ali Aguilar, Taylor Edwards, Rachel Garcia, Bubba Nickles, Dejah Mulipola, and Kelsey Stewart-Hunter. Additionally, eleven members of 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup Finals squad will be participating, along with eight members of the 2024 Japan All-Star Series roster. The participating 2024 Women’s National Team members include:
2024 Women’s National Team (WBSC World Cup Finals)
Sis Bates — Volts
Maya Brady — Talons
Mia Davidson — Bandits
Megan Faraimo — Talons (1-3)
Hannah Flippen — Talons
Rachel Garcia — Volts (1-4)
Sahvanna Jaquish — Talons
Tiare Jennings — Volts
Amanda Lorenz — Volts (2-3)
Dejah Mulipola — Volts
Jessi Warren — Volts
2024 Women’s Elite Team (Japan All-Star Series)
Aliyah Andrews — Blaze
Ciara Briggs — Blaze
Erin Coffel — Bandits
Lexi Kilfoyl — Bandits (1-1)
Baylee Klingler — Blaze
Kayla Kowalik — Blaze
Aubrey Leach — Blaze
Skylar Wallace — Bandits
Furthermore, nine former Women’s National Team (WNT) members and one former Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT) member will also compete.
In addition to the drafted athletes, USA Softball is represented by several prominent figures. Two-time Olympic Medalist Kelly Kretschman will serve as the head coach of the AUSL Volts, while three-time Olympian Cat Osterman has taken on the role of General Manager (GM) for the Volts. Former U.S. Women’s National Team assistant coach Howard Dobson will lead the Talons, while three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lisa Fernandez will serve as their GM. Alisa Goler, an assistant coach for the 2024 U-18 Women’s National Team, will act as the head coach for the AUSL Blaze and 2005 Elite Team member Dana Sorenson will be the Blaze’s GM. Additionally, three-time Olympian Stacey Nuveman-Diaz will lead the AUSL Bandits as their head coach.
To view the full list of draftees, click here »
The inaugural 30-game season of the AUSL will feature a total of 48 athletes, with ESPN broadcasting 18 games exclusively on its networks. For viewers in the United States, all games will be available across the ESPN network of channels. Legendary U.S. Olympians Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and Natasha Watley have signed on as advisors to the AUSL, providing guidance to AU leadership and current athletes on the strategic direction of the new league. Additionally, USA Softball is a strategic partner of AUSL.
For more information on the USA Softball Women’s National Team program, visit USASoftball.com.