The new additions to the AUSL – the Oklahoma City Spark and Cascade – have a tall order next month.

Both expansion teams will build their teams from scratch at the AUSL Draft on Dec. 1, live on ESPNU at 7 p.m. ET. For fans of the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts, all hope isn’t lost for keeping your team intact. Each team protected five players ahead of the AUSL Expansion Draft:

The AUSL Draft will follow these rules:

The expansion teams are required to select at least six players. The original teams may elect to stop protecting after each expansion team has met that requirement. The maximum number of players that any one original team can lose is five.

These are some of the top prospects on the board for the Spark and Cascade. Senior reporter Savanna Collins shares which remaining unprotected players she believes the Spark and Cascade will target.

Maya Brady, Utility

Regardless of which team wins the coin toss for the first pick of the AUSL Draft, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Maya Brady as the first pick. She has the attributes a franchise needs to build around: long-term investment, leadership, star power, and, of course, elite performance on the field.

Despite missing the first month of the AUSL inaugural season due to a hamstring injury, Brady lived up to the hype in the back half of the season. She batted 1.000 in her first 10 plate appearances with the Talons, going 7-for-7 with three walks. She finished out the season with a .500 average with 11 hits and 5 RBIs in 22 at-bats.

Another factor Brady brings is her utility abilities in the field. For a team starting from scratch, an athlete who can play both shortstop and the outfield gives flexibility when building the rest of the roster.

Sydney McKinney, Infielder

McKinney offers one of the most consistent bats and dynamic defensive abilities of any player on the board. She was the batting champion of the 2025 season with a .457 average, finishing the regular season second in hits (32) and third in on-base percentage (.472).

The Wichita State star has pro experience at second, shortstop, and third base. And although we didn’t see it displayed as much in the inaugural season, she has the speed to put pressure on in the base path.

Jessi Warren, Infielder

It seems unfathomable that one of the best third basemen in softball will be available for a new team in 2026. Jessi Warren continued to wow with her glove throughout the Volts season, making the routine look effortless, the tough look easy, and the near-impossible outs possible.

On a team that struggled offensively, Warren was one of the better bats. She hit .311 on the year and has the power for the long ball, too. I could see Warren fitting well into the upper part of an order and anchoring a defense for one of the new franchises.

Payton Gottshall, Pitcher

Don’t let Payton Gottshall’s draft value sneak by you – this righty was a mainstay of the Volts’ bullpen. She was one of the most heavily used arms in all of the AUSL, making 15 appearances and logging 47.1 innings pitched. Her 3.40 ERA was good for fourth-best in the league.

I think she will thrive most in a mid-relief role for a team, helping to stitch together a pitching staff.

Carley Hoover, Pitcher

Carley Hoover is a high-risk, high-reward option for a team looking to waste no time building their bullpen. Hoover was the most anticipated addition to the AUSL in 2025. She was a newcomer to the AUSL but no stranger to the pro game at the top level. The righty played for six years in the Japan Diamond Softball League – a top softball league in Japan and one of the best in the world.

Her unscouted skillset and reputation as a competitor made her the No. 1 overall pick for the Blaze, but she faced an injury that cut the season short. Hoover wasn’t able to throw a full inning before she had to leave her Blaze debut due to injury and didn’t return to the field the rest of the summer.

Next summer could finally be Hoover’s breakout year in the AUSL.

Tori Vidales, Infielder

There’s no chance first baseman Tori Vidales remains available for long, and I could see her being one of the first 10 chosen during the expansion draft. She’s a veteran hitter who has continuously evolved throughout her pro career. Vidales only hit one home run in the Talons’ season, but it was in the most clutch moment possible. She launched a first-pitch home run in the AUSL Championship for the Talons that gave the team the go-ahead.

Not only that, but what Vidales bring defensively should not be underrated. She’s an elite first baseman and even had clutch plays in the field for the Talons that affected the Championship Series. What doesn’t show up in the stat sheet for Vidales is the camaraderie and levity she brings to a team that any franchise could benefit from.

Sam Landry, Pitcher

I have to imagine the Spark’s eyes lit up when the Volts announced they wouldn’t be protecting pitcher Sam Landry. The University of Oklahoma star would be a perfect fit to come home to OKC with the franchise. Before the Spark joined the AUSL, they built a business around signing Sooners to connect local fans to the pro team. Not only could they acquire a fan-favorite in Landry, but she also brings promising ability to the circle.

The rookie transition for pitchers to the pro level can be the toughest, and Landry entered the league just days after finishing her college career at the championship game of the Women’s College World Series.

Michaela Edenfield, Catcher

The catcher position is at a premium in the AUSL right now, and one of the expansion clubs could look to build with their bullpen with Michaela Edenfield as the backstop. She didn’t get a lot of playing time in her rookie season behind veteran Dejah Mulipola on the Volts, but she had a stellar career at Florida State.

Edenfield had a career fielding percentage of .988 in college and was known for her relational approach with pitchers and her leadership on the field. With further development of her offensive game, Edenfield could be an early pick in the draft to yield a big impact for a team in 2026.

Caroline Jacobsen, Outfielder

Caroline Jacobsen is coming off her best pro season and was a valuable asset to the Talons’ championship lineup. Her average jumped from .237 to .384, and her OPS was sixth overall in the league at a whopping 1.067.

Jacobsen specializes as a right fielder, which may affect her draft stock, but she is the best at the position in the pro game. As a quieter player, she might fly under the radar, but don’t sleep on Jacobsen in the draft.

Bella Dayton, Outfielder

Another outfielder with potential to go early in the AUSL Draft is Bella Dayton. Her offensive production for the Bandits may have been overlooked, given the explosive nature of the top of the lineup, which featured Morgan Zerkle, Skylar Wallace, and Erin Coffel. But Dayton in the nine-hole was key in rolling that batting order over and setting the table for those hitters to score her as a run.

She had a .338/.393/.403 slashline, and what she may lack in power, she makes up for in speed and a diverse toolbox at the plate. Dayton can be shifted around the outfield and had some stellar plays for the Bandits. If a team is looking to build with small ball and speed, Dayton would be a great early choice.

Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Twitter @savannaecollins.