NiJaree Canady, Karlyn Pickens lead influx of new talent: Previewing the 2026 AUSL season

Fear not, softball fans. While the college season has wrapped up with Texas standing above the rest , there’s no need to wait until next February to see some thrilling action on the diamond. In fact, many stars of this prolific senior class — such as Longhorns catcher Reese Atwood, Texas Tech star NiJaree Canady and No. 1 pick Karlyn Pickens, to name just a few — will transition to the next chapter of their careers by participating in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

“Pitchers just don’t catch a breather in these pro lineups, so it’ll be interesting to see, but I think these women are incredibly, immensely talented, and expect nothing short of greatness,” AUSL commissioner Kim Ng said. “The athletes are really starting to understand that this is big time, and that we are now on a different level.”

This will be the first time the four original teams (Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts and reigning champion Utah Talons), along with the two new expansion teams (Portland Cascade and Oklahoma City Spark), will have permanent bases in cities to call home. In AUSL’s inaugural season, the four teams toured the country while also spending some time in Athletes Unlimited’s former home base in Rosemont, Ill.

There is also a reserve pool of players who can fill spots on different teams, depending on injuries or if current players need to step away for any time (for example, Volts star Amanda Lorenz announced she will not play this season because she is pregnant). In that case, teams can select any player from the pool, including those who were in the pool last year as well as 2026 college seniors who did not get drafted, such as Oregon pitcher Lyndsey Grein, Duke infielder Aminah Vega and Oklahoma State pitcher Ruby Meylan.

With training camp wrapped up from Vero Beach, Fla., and opening day set for Tuesday, here’s what you can expect from each of the squads, in the words of Ng herself. The season’s full schedule is here .

Key returners: INF Ana Gold (2025 Rookie of the Year), OF McKenzie Clark, P Emma Lemley

Newcomers: P/UT Valerie Cagle, INF Alyssa Brito, P Karlyn Pickens (No. 1 overall pick, Tennessee), C Reese Atwood (No. 7 pick, Texas), OF Dakota Kennedy (No. 16 pick, Arkansas)

Thoughts from Kim Ng: “Karlyn Pickens is going to be the story there, especially with Reese Atwood coming into the league as well and what that battery is going to be able to do for the Blaze. They didn’t perform the way they wanted to last year, so we’re going to see some of those additions and how much they can help.”