The margin for error shrinks fast during the WNBA offseason, especially for veterans without guaranteed contracts. With free agency approaching and roster spots tightening, every decision becomes a quiet audition for what comes next.
That reality framed Aerial Powers’ latest announcement. On January 19, 2026, the Indiana Fever guard revealed she has relocated to Nashville to compete in the fifth season of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, opting for a domestic offseason path rather than heading overseas.
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Just as important as the move itself is the timing. Powers enters the winter as an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, with no contract secured and limited windows to showcase health and consistency. As a result, this is not simply an offseason stopgap. It is a positioning play.
Powers announced the relocation through a YouTube video and a post on X, offering a glimpse into her new apartment and describing the move as the start of “a new chapter.” The message was clear and direct. “I moved to Nashville… and a new chapter has officially begun.”
That quote stands on its own because it explains intent. Powers is not framing Athletes Unlimited as a side project. Instead, she is treating it as a reset point after a turbulent 2025 campaign split between two franchises.
Earlier last season, Powers briefly joined the Golden State Valkyries before landing with Indiana on a short-term deal. However, injuries across the Fever roster created an opportunity. Powers earned a rest-of-the-season contract and became part of a playoff group that pushed deep despite limited continuity.
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Still, the outcome was unfinished business. She exits 2025 without a deal for 2026, meaning every minute of live basketball before free agency carries weight. Because of that, Athletes Unlimited offers something few other options can.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball runs annually during the WNBA offseason and maintains the traditional 5×5 format. However, unlike team-based leagues, it crowns an individual champion using a point system that rewards both team success and individual production.
The 2026 season will run from February 4 through March 1 at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, featuring 40 players. Of those, 27 are active WNBA players, split evenly between newcomers and returning competitors.
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That balance matters. The league is not developmental. It is competitive by design, which makes it ideal for veterans aiming to reestablish value. The $500,000 prize purse further raises stakes, but visibility may be the real prize for players like Powers.
The field is headlined by Tina Charles, the WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds and field goals. Her decision to compete domestically after years of international offseason play reflects a broader trend.
The Broader Offseason Shift
WNBA players now have more U.S.-based options than ever. Leagues like Unrivaled offer alternatives through modified formats, while international contracts remain available for those willing to travel.
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However, Athletes Unlimited stands alone in one critical area. It is the only domestic offseason league outside the WNBA that preserves full 5×5 basketball. Because of that, it mirrors WNBA spacing, tempo, and physical demands more closely than any other option.
That similarity matters for free agents. Teams evaluating players want transferable tape, not projections. As a result, strong performances in Nashville can translate directly into roster conversations once free agency opens.
Meanwhile, newer ventures like Project B are set to enter the calendar in 2027 with international events. Still, those opportunities require travel and extended absences. Athletes Unlimited allows players to stay stateside while maintaining game rhythm.
For Powers, the decision aligns with urgency. She is a former WNBA champion whose recent seasons have been interrupted by short contracts and roster instability. At this stage, availability and consistency matter as much as raw production.
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By committing to Athletes Unlimited early and relocating to Nashville, she removes uncertainty. She guarantees herself live minutes, elite competition, and a familiar system ahead of free agency discussions.
More importantly, she controls the narrative. Instead of entering February as an unsigned veteran with limited exposure, Powers enters as an active contributor in the deepest Athletes Unlimited field to date.
Athletes Unlimited tips off on February 4. That date now functions as the next checkpoint in Powers’ career timeline.
If she emerges healthy and productive against a roster stacked with current WNBA talent, the conversation around her free agency changes quickly. Teams searching for depth, experience, or defensive versatility will have recent evidence rather than assumptions.
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For now, the move away from the traditional offseason path is deliberate. Nashville is not a detour. It is the proving ground Powers chose for what comes next.
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