Athenian Sages

 is a team participating in the Smite Pro League. The team is owned and operated by Hi-Rez Studios.

History
The Athenian Sages was created by Hi-rez in 2022 to promote SCC branding. The team roster was chosen due to qualification in the SCC Play-ins tournament. The original roster consisted of Slaaaaaaaash, Jangaru, Briz, Privative, and Shinigami. thebesttaco to join as a coach.

2022 Season
The beginning of the fall season was rough for the Athenian Sages. The team failed to find early season wins, as teams such as the Eldritch Hounds, Kaolin Wardens, and Xibalba Storm were too much for them to handle. The team was not doing well and a change had to be made. Shinigami was kicked from the team, and Snoopy was called to replace him. Their next match against the Yomi Tanuki would result in a win and so did their match against the Tyrian Weavers. This newfound success was great for the Sages, but it wasn't enough. Due to their poor results at the beginning of the season, the team could not qualify for the Smite Spring Masters Tournament. The Summer Phase would be about the same win rate-wise for the Athenian Sages. Their first game against the Weavers would result in a win, but their next against the Wardens would result in a loss. That could be attributed to thebesttaco playing support as Privative went solo to cover for Slaaaaaaaash. While the team returned back to their original roster for the next set, their next opponent was the Eldritch Hounds who were by far the best team in NA SCC. Changes were made after this set, as Slaaaaaaaash and Briz would no longer be on the roster. Jangaru would swap to mid lane, DameNWK would join as jungle, and Delnyy would join as solo. This change was rewarded by a win against Xibalba Storm but the team would lose to the Yomi Tanuki in the last set of the season. While the team had a poor win rate, the team would still qualify for the Smite Summer Masters. Their first opponent would be the Jade Dragons, who would knock the team into the Loser's Bracket. Their next opponent would be the Highland Ravens, who would eliminate the team from the tournament. Over the summer, the team made more changes. Privative announced their new roster and besides him, only Jangaru remained. Delnyy, DameNWK, and Snoopy would be gone. To take their place would be Dishonored, Shortfuse, and Renjaru in solo, jungle, and ADC respectively. This change was rewarded by a better standing in the fall phase. While the team could not take on the Storm or Hounds, they would beat the rest of the competition. The Weavers, Tanuki, and even the Wardens would fall to the Sages. While their win rate would be similar to the Tanuki, the team would end the fall season in 2nd place due to beating the Tanuki. The team was ready to compete in the NA SCC side of the Road to Worlds Tournament. The team's first opponent would be SOC team Blubber Bottoms and they would beat them 2-0. Their next opponent, Yomi Tanuki, would fall to them in a 2-1 set. The same would befall the Wardens, as the Sages would beat them 2-1. Yet, a roadblock stood in the way of the Sages. The Eldritch Hounds were the best NA SCC team. They were the undefeated team, and they would remain that way. The Sages would lose. In the Loser's Bracket, the Sages had one more opponent. The Xibalba Storm would stand in their way, and after a hard-fought battle, the Sages would lose 1-2 to the Storm. Their year was over.

Play-in Tournament
Before the official start of the SPL, Hi-Rez decided to host a tournament, the Promotional Tournament, in order to find out who will become the next two SPL teams. On February 9th, Hi-Rez posted the rosters for the Promotional Tournament. The Athenian Sages would change their Solo, ADC, and Coach. Dishonored and Renjaru would no longer be on the roster. Remakami and Wowy would join the team as solo and ADC. Their coach, thebesttaco, would leave and they would gain Teepers as coach. Unfortunately for the Sages, their tournament was cut short. They would only play two matches, one against the Aaru Scorpions and another against the Kaolin Wardens. Both of these sets would end in a 0-2 loss for the Athenian Sages. The team would disband.

2023 Season
The Athenian Sages came into the 2023 season with some familiar faces. Privative and Jangaru remained on the roster while Snaddy, Nayhoo, and Renjaru would join the roster. Sitys would join the team as a coach as well. The team, now assembled, would have a great Summer Phase. The team would beat all of the NA SCC teams. The team would only lose one set, that is to the Kaolin Wardens. Valhalla Valkyries, Tyrian Weavers, Aaru Scorpions, and Xibalba Storm would all fall to the Sages. The team would end the phase as the number 1 team and would be able to compete in the Smite Summer Masters. During the Tournament, their first opponent would be the EU SCC powerhouse, Hex Mambo. The team would, unfortunately, lose 0-2. Now in the Loser's Bracket, their next opponent would be the Weavers. The Sages would win in a 2-0 set against the Weavers. Their next opponent would be the Valhalla Valkyries. After a competitive match, the Sages would lose to the Valks in a 1-2 set. This would result in the elimination of the Athenian Sages. As of now, the fall season has not started.

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