Ariel Atkins
Ariel Atkins (born July 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). After a four-year college career with the Texas Longhorns, Atkins was drafted 7th overall by the Washington Mystics in 2018 and helped them reach the WNBA Finals.[1] She then spent the 2018–19 season in Poland with InvestInTheWest ENEA Gorzów Wielkopolski. In 2019, she won a WNBA Championship with the Washington Mystics. For the 2019–20 WNBA off-season, she signed with an Australian team, the Perth Lynx.[1]
![]() Atkins with the Washington Mystics in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 – Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | July 30, 1996||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 167 lb (76 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
High school | Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||||
College | Texas (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||
WNBA draft | 2018: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
Selected by the Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2018–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
2018–present | Washington Mystics | ||||||||||||||||||||
2018–2019 | InvestInTheWest ENEA Gorzów | ||||||||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | Perth Lynx | ||||||||||||||||||||
2020 | Elazığ İl Özel İdarespor | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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College
Atkins played college basketball at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas for the Longhorns.[2]
Career
WNBA
At the 2018 WNBA draft, Atkins was drafted by the Washington Mystics in the first round, as the seventh overall pick.[3] Atkins would join a Mystics line-up alongside players such as Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver & Natasha Cloud. In August 2018, Atkins was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in her debut season.[4] Later in September 2018, Atkins was also named to the All-Rookie Team.[5]
On October 10, 2019, Atkins and the Mystics took home their first WNBA Championship after defeating the Connecticut Sun, 3–2.[6] In September 2020, Atkins was named to the All-Defensive Second Team for the third time in her three career seasons.[7]
In August 2023, Atkins signed a multi-year extension to stay in Washington with the Mystics.[8]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014–15 | Texas | 27 | 19 | 23.9 | .363 | .288 | .825 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 9.7 |
2015–16 | Texas | 27 | 14 | 21.0 | .536 | .356 | .819 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 11.2 |
2016–17 | Texas | 32 | 32 | 26.6 | .456 | .377 | .818 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 12.8 |
2017–18 | Texas | 35 | 35 | 27.7 | .534 | .420 | .859 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 14.9 |
Career | 121 | 100 | 25.1 | .475 | .373 | .831 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 12.4 |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Washington | 29 | 24 | 22.5 | .432 | .357 | .824 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 11.3 |
2019† | Washington | 33 | 33 | 24.3 | .416 | .357 | .811 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 10.3 |
2020 | Washington | 22 | 22 | 31.0 | .438 | .411 | .886 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 14.8 |
2021 | Washington | 30 | 30 | 30.6 | .407 | .359 | .831 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 16.2 |
2022 | Washington | 36 | 36 | 30.0 | .420 | .365 | .845 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 14.6 |
Career | 5 years, 1 team | 150 | 145 | 27.6 | .421 | .367 | .841 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 13.4 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Washington | 9 | 9 | 27.9 | .480 | .424 | .879 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 15.2 |
2019† | Washington | 9 | 9 | 19.8 | .373 | .333 | .929 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 7.3 |
2020 | Washington | 1 | 1 | 36.0 | .375 | .000 | 1.000 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.0 |
2022 | Washington | 2 | 2 | 33.0 | .379 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 15.5 |
Career | 4 years, 1 team | 21 | 21 | 25.3 | .426 | .390 | .900 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 11.8 |
References
- "LYNX SIGN USA IMPORT ARIEL ATKINS". wnbl.com.au. May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
- "Ariel Atkins - Women's Basketball - University of Texas Athletics". texassports.com.
- "MYSTICS SELECT ATKINS IN 2018 WNBA DRAFT". mystics.wnba.com.
- "Defensive POY Alana Beard Leads 2018 All-Defensive First Team". wnba.com.
- "Diamond DeShields, A'ja Wilson Headline 2018 WNBA All-Rookie Team". wnba.com.
- "Bringing It Home: Delle Donne, Mystics Earn First WNBA Crown". wnba.com.
- "Two Atlanta Dream Players And Seattle Storm's Alysha Clark Headline 2020 WNBA All-Defensive Team". wnba.com.
- "Ariel Atkins Signs Multi-Year Extension". mystics.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
External links

- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- WNBA player profile
- Texas Longhorns bio