Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse is a professional women's lacrosse league. It was founded in 2020 and held its inaugural season was in 2021.[1]
League format
Athletes Unlimited deviates from the traditional sports model. Instead, they employ a point system to determine the top four performers from the previous week. These players assume the role of captains and participate in drafting their teams for the upcoming week.[2] Points are accrued by players based on their individual performance and their team's overall performance throughout the season. The league champion is determined by the player with the highest accumulated points There are 56 players in the league, with each team consisting of 14 players.[3][4]
History
On October 20, 2020, Athletes Unlimited announced that they would be adding women's lacrosse as its third league. Michelle DeJulius, who had founded and was the CEO of the now defunct Women's Professional Lacrosse League was named the Senior Director of Lacrosse.[4] The inaugural season took place from July 19 – August 22 in Boyds, Maryland.[5] On August 23, 2021, Athletes Unlimited announced that they would have a second season.[6]
The second season was played from July 21 – August 14 in Baltimore, Maryland. All games being broadcast on ESPN platforms.[7]
The third season was played from July 20 – August 13 in Baltimore, Maryland. All games are continuing to be broadcast on ESPN platforms.
Rule differences
Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse features a "short-form, fast-paced" format. The major rule difference are as follows:[4][3][8][9]
It is played 10 against 10 rather than 12 against 12.
The field length is shorted to 90 yards as opposed to the traditional 110 yards. The field width remains at 60 yards.
There is a 60-second shot clock.
Players can score two-point goals by scoring goals from outside of an 8-meter perimeter.
The games are also 10-minute quarters.
The game has also been described as more physical, with less fouls called compared to other levels of the game. There are also no shooting space calls (shooting space being a penalty where a defender cannot stand between the goal and a player looking to shoot unless actively guarding another player).[3][9]
Results
2023 season
The 2023 Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse season took place from July 20 – August 13 at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.[10] Goalie Taylor Moreno became the first ever Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse player to win two championships.[11][12]
2023 Medalists
Place
Player
Position
Points
1
Taylor Moreno
Goalie
1,679
2
Sam Apuzzo
Attacker
1,667
3
Kady Glynn
Goalie
1,346
4
Abby Bosco
Defender
1,301
Abby Bosco was named defensive player of the year. She was also the first defender ever to earn a medal.
The 2022 Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse season took place from July 21 – August 14 at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. Goalie Taylor Moreno won the Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse title with 1,798 points.[13][10][14][15]
2022 Medalists
Place
Player
Position
Points
1
Taylor Moreno
Goalie
1,798
2
Sam Apuzzo
Attacker
1,782
3
Ally Mastroianni
Midfielder
1,399
4
Britt Read
Goalie
1,394
Becca Block was named the GEICO defensive player of the year for the second year in a row.[15]
2021 season
The 2021 Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse season took place from July 19 – August 22 in Boyds, Maryland at Maureen Hendricks field.[16]
2021 Medalists
Place
Player
Position
Points
1
Taylor Cummings
Attacker
1,943
2
Caylee Waters
Goalie
1,753
3
Sam Apuzzo
Attacker
1,685
4
Kady Glynn
Goalie
1,601
Becca Block was named the GEICO defensive player of the year.[16]
References
^"Who We Are". Athletes Unlimited. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
