Utah Talons repeat as Athletes Unlimited Softball League champions

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Talons are champions once again.

The Talons swept the Chicago Bandits to win the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship, securing back-to-back league titles. Utah opened the championship series with a 2-1 victory in Game 1 before clinching the title with a 6-1 win in Game 2.

For shortstop Hannah Flippen, a former University of Utah standout, winning consecutive championships has been especially meaningful. "This is our second year at the league, and so to not only win it as the inaugural season but to then do it again, it has been really special, and also now it feels like because we have a home city of Salt Lake City and the home state of Utah behind our back; we felt that support all year long," Flippen said.

Last season, Athletes Unlimited operated under a touring model. This year, with Salt Lake City serving as the Talons' home, Flippen said the connection with local fans made a noticeable difference. "Last year we were more of a touring model, and it was just softball fans were rooting for softball; they were rooting for one specific team, maybe for a specific player, but this year to have Utah as our home, we really felt the love and support," Flippen said.

The Talons also received dominant pitching throughout the championship series. Georgina Corrick allowed just four hits in Game 1, while Montana Fouts threw a complete game to clinch the championship in Game 2.

Flippen said she hopes the success of the league continues to inspire young athletes. "I am one of the older people in the league, and for a long time I was thinking of being an MLB baseball player, so for the little kids now to have dreams of playing softball, it's really special for them to have dreams and where you can see the dream," Flippen said.

The Talons will return to Utah as back-to-back Athletes Unlimited Softball League champions and will look to defend their title next season.

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