Written by Noam Gumerman
WUL Lead Writer
The 2025 WUL season is marked by the return of a franchise based out of Oregon and a seven-team league for the new season. Week 1 is just around the corner, kicking off with a 2024 Championship Game rematch on March 22 between defending WUL Champion Colorado Alpenglow and runners-up Utah Wild. But, before we get there, there’s much to cover! Brand new additions to the league, returning faces from seasons past, a wide-open field for the 2025 WUL Championship, and more! Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 WUL Season:
Arizona Sidewinders
2024 Record: 1-5
2025 Predicted Record: 1-5
The Arizona Sidewinders had just about the most heartbreaking 2024 season imaginable. Outside of just one blowout loss to the Bay Area Falcons, they lost two games by one point and two games by two points on their way to finishing 1-5. Their task remains a tall one in 2025. Their schedule is made up exclusively of last year’s top four teams, including two games against both Colorado and San Diego. They will have to flip the script from last year if they want to find themselves in the mix at Championship Weekend, and learn how to win the close games consistently. Fortunately, the majority of their biggest offensive contributors are back. Namely 2024 WUL All-Team members and 2024 WUL Awards finalists Chip Chang, Paige Applegate and LP Aragon. Those three threw over half of the Sidewinders’ assists last year. With another year of chemistry and experience playing together under their belt, that stability could help the Sidewinders better navigate those late-game situations they found themselves in multiple times last year. The addition of long-time UFA star Travis Dunn (seven-time All-UFA Team, 2023 Ultiworld Mixed Club Offensive Player of the Year) to Arizona’s coaching lineup should bring a depth of experience and knowledge, as well as a championship mindset to the already seasoned leadership team.
One Number to Know: 57.6% Red Zone Offensive Efficiency
Arizona’s 57.6% Red Zone Offensive Efficiency number ranked them dead last in the league in 2024. That inability to score at a high rate when close to the end zone often cost them in their close losses, as their opponents turned stops into critical breaks.
2025 X Factor: Kody Lippincott
In 2023, Kody Lippincott totaled 12 scores and 14 blocks (tied-fifth in the league), to go along with nearly 500 receiving yards in a full season of action for the Arizona Sidewinders. The blocks in particular, were an impressive jump up from her 2022 rookie season, demonstrating an ability to be an impact player on both sides of the disc. Last year, she was limited to just 11 total points played due to injury, in a season where one extra playmaker downfield could’ve made a real difference for the Sidewinders. Lippincott’s return bodes well for Arizona, especially should she take an extra leap.
Bay Area Falcons
2024 Record: 5-1
2025 Predicted Record: 5-1
Bay Area looked poised to cruise to a first WUL Championship last season, winning five games straight after a Week 1 loss, including a sweep of the regular season series over California rival and preseason favorites San Diego Super Bloom. However, it came crashing down at Championship Weekend, with a second loss on the year to Utah Wild, and another in their third-place game against San Diego. They finished their best regular season in team history with an 0-2 weekend. Fortunately, no one is running it back like Bay Area is this year, with 20 players and the reigning Coaching Staff of the Year returning, along with the addition of PUL heavy-hitter Robyn Fennig (2022 Ultiworld Mixed Division Player of the Year, 2019 Women’s Division Player of the year). This is an experienced, battle-tested group who has what it takes to win a trophy this time around. They will not play San Diego during the regular season, and will not have to play an away game at altitude, so the expectation will be for them to take care of business during the regular season. The challenge will be if they can perform under pressure, particularly as hosts for 2025 Championship Weekend.
One Number to Know: +32 Goal Differential
Bay Area finished with a staggering +32 goal differential during the 2024 regular season, with only one other team finishing with a positive goal differential (Colorado Alpenglow, +1). Will they continue to steamroll through teams in the regular season? Or will the league adjust and play them closer? If so, how will Bay Area respond?
2025 X Factor: Robin Fennig
Is naming the highest-profile acquisition on a team to the X Factor spot a little bit of a cop-out? Maybe. Will we do it anyway? Absolutely! In all sports, there are no guarantees of success just because one team may appear to have more talent than another. We have to play the games for a reason after all. And Fennig’s addition to the Falcons presents a challenge to a returner-heavy roster: how do all of the pieces fit together? Fennig is often the offensive engine team’s build their success around (look at Madison NOISE’s 2021 and 2022 USAU Nationals runs), so it will be interesting to see how much control Bay Area’s coaching staff give her over the offense, and how much they stick to a balanced approach. This is an incredible situation to be in, and even if there are early growing pains, the rest of the league will only dread this matchup more as the team chemistry comes together further into the season.
Colorado Alpenglow
2024 Record: 3-3, WUL Champions
2025 Predicted Record: 4-2
After a rollercoaster regular season, Colorado Alpenglow’s high-powered offense and suffocating defense came together at the perfect time for a big home Championship Weekend win. Led by 2024 MVP Abby Thorpe and Offensive Player of the Year Ari Nelson, Colorado scored 39 points in just two games at 2024 Championship Weekend – seven more than any other team – and allowed just 12 points against Utah in the final to cruise to their first WUL Championship. In 2025, they’re bringing back over half of that championship-winning roster, and have every reason to roll into the 2025 season with confidence high. They have a favorable schedule, avoiding last year’s top regular season team in Bay Area altogether and only seeing San Diego at home. Colorado has the experience, talent, and every opportunity to repeat as champions this year, just as Seattle did two years ago.
One number to know: 101-100
The score 101-100 represents the total scores for and against Colorado Alpenglow in the 2024 regular season. They finished with a .500 record, so it shouldn’t be surprising that their point differential ended at +1, so close to even. Interestingly, however, their goals for and against put them at the second-highest total in the league, demonstrating a high-powered offense that could turn any game into a track meet. Colorado’s 20-12 Championship Game win was by far their most complete effort of the season, and if they can find that level of play on both sides of the disc, they can become a dominant force in the league in the seasons to come.
2025 X Factor: Megan Maxfield
Megan Maxfield joins the defending champions from Arizona, where she was a productive cutter able to contribute on both sides of the disc. In 2023 and 2024, she totaled over 20 combined goals between the two seasons and just under 20 blocks. Maxfield had at least one block in every game she played in last year, which is made even more impressive by the fact that she played close to an even split between offensive and defensive points during the season. One of the only big losses for the Alpenglow this offseason was Blaise Sevier, a dynamic defender and downfield player, much in the same mold as Maxfield. Maxfield’s elite defensive capabilities and her ability to find the endzone perfectly fill in a role Colorado needs. Maxfield should get every opportunity to become the impact player she was in Arizona now for Colorado.
Oregon Soar
2024 Record: N/A
2025 Predicted Record: 2-4
2025 marked the return of an Oregon franchise, and the Soar are ready for their inaugural flight. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Oregon has the least experienced team in the league when it comes to playing professional ultimate. Just ten players played for previous iterations of Oregon in the WUL, meaning ⅔ of their roster are rookies. This will be an incredible opportunity to see what a large cohort of talented rookies can do on this stage. Even without pro experience, this Oregon team is stacked with players from elite club teams Portland Schwa and Oregon Scorch. Still, getting this team to the top of the pecking order in the league will be a challenge in just one season, as the middle of the league is crowded with talented teams vying for a spot in the Final Four. Oregon is more than capable of putting themselves in a position to fight for a spot in their inaugural season.
One number to know: 56% Huck Completion Percentage
In 2023, the last year an Oregon team played in the WUL, they were second in the league with a Huck Completion Percentage of 56%. They were also one of only three teams to finish with a completion percentage of over 50% to attempt 100 or more hucks on the season. This is a different Oregon team, but we’ll be able to tell early on if they are sticking to their previous identity of airing it out and relying on big-play offense, or if the new ownership and leadership will take them in a new direction.
2025 X Factor: Julianna Galian
Soar more than any other team is stacked with young, exciting talent that has yet to prove themselves at the pro level. One player that pops off the page in that regard is Julianna Galian. Galian begins her WUL with two years of Schwa experience already, and on the backs of one of the most dominant college performances ever. She capped off a D3 national championship with Portland Uproar with 27 goals plus assists of her team’s 30 in the semifinal and final. The load Galian will be asked to carry will not be anything like the one she had to in college, but she’s already demonstrated an ability to ramp up her performance in the biggest moment’s more than most players ever do. So when the lights get bright for the Soar, keep an eye on Galian.
San Diego Super Bloom
2024 Record: 4-2
2025 Predicted Record: 5-1
It’s here we go again for San Diego Super Bloom. Three times, Super Bloom has entered the WUL as one of the preseason favorites, and three times, Super Bloom has fallen just short of gold during Championship Weekend. They have been the most consistent regular season team in the league since its inception, and they are running it back from last year, returning 70% of their roster from 2024. The core of 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Dena Elimelech, 2023 WUL MVP Kaela Helton, 2023 DPOTY Finalist Kristen Pojunis, and 2024 First Team All-WUL Kelli Iwamoto can take any team far. But no one has ever questioned the top-end talent this team possesses. Their goal will be the same it’s been every year since the beginning of the WUL: Make it to Championship Weekend and take care of business once there. Any meeting with their in-state rivals Bay Area, will have to wait until Championship Weekend. However, San Diego still has to play at Colorado and Utah (at altitude) this season, which is never easy. Despite that, they look primed to add another impressive regular season to their resume.
One number to know: 95 Opponent Errors
Despite finishing the 2024 season in the middle of the league in blocks, San Diego Super Bloom forced their opponents into the fewest opponent errors of any team last year. Their 95 forced errors were 26 fewer than league leaders Bay Area, and they were the only team not to force more than 100. While these errors are turnovers that are attributed to the offense (throwaways, drops, etc.) they typically correlate to high levels of defensive pressure across the field that force thrower and receiver errors. San Diego’s ability to increase their defensive pressure this season as a team could be their make-or-break factor.
2025 X Factor: Avery Jones and Kaitlyn Weaver
Despite already having the best top-end in the league, San Diego not only gets 2023 center handler Avery Jones back from injury but adds Kaitlyn Weaver, a 2023 MVP finalist with former WUL team Los Angeles Astra. With the addition of these two players, will it take enough off the load San Diego’s stars are already carrying? The answer to that question could determine San Diego’s fate this year. If Jones and Weaver are able to integrate back into a team that had many other players carve out more prominent roles in 2024, the Super Bloom’s Death Star will finally be fully operational.
Seattle Tempest
2024 Record: 2-4
2025 Predicted Record: 2-4
The 2022 and 2023 WUL Champions were in flux last year. Thanks to both roster turnover and inconsistency on the field, the Tempest couldn’t pull out a third straight bid to Championship Weekend. It’s not like the bottom fell out, though. They split their season series with Colorado and Utah, who both made it to the WUL Championship last year. The Seattle area is always flush with talent to draw upon, and the weather often provides a meaningful home-field advantage against any other team traveling there. Additionally, 21 players on this year’s roster have previous Tempest experience, including Jamie Eriksson, who is back after a year on the PUL runners-up DC Shadow. The Tempest philosophy in years past has been rotating through their deep roster more than anyone else. It’s anyone’s game this year though, and for the Tempest to return to heights of years past, they will have to leapfrog a handful of teams that leveled up last year. It’s very much in the realm of possibility, but each year in the WUL seems more challenging than the last.
One number to know: 24.8% Break Percentage
Seattle had by far the worst break percentage in the league last season, while generating the second fewest total blocks. They also turned away from their previous strategy of rolling three separate lines throughout games, to a more traditional O/D split. And they ran zone defense 19.8% of the time, which was the highest in the league. Will they keep tinkering with it to find a better look? Or will they switch philosophies to find that magic from their title-winning seasons?
2025 X Factor: Sadie Jezierski
Sadie Jezierski’s first two WUL seasons have featured both highs (a league record 8 assists against Colorado in 2023) and lows (two four-turnover, sub-200 yard games in 2024). It’s exceedingly likely that where Jezierski goes, the Tempest will follow. So a version of Jezierski that continues to punish defense with her impressive throwing arsenal while limiting mistakes could make her a league MVP candidate – and be what Seattle may need to compete for championships again in 2025. Individual inconsistency will likely correlate to continued team inconsistency. Even a happier medium will help lift that break percentage number and allow Seattle to convert offensive opportunities more efficiently, and in turn, help them win more games.
Utah Wild
2024 Record: 3-3, WUL Championship Finalists
2025 Predicted Record: 2-4
Last year’s WUL runners-up had an inconsistent regular season, highlighted by a win over the best regular season team in the league (Bay Area), and a loss to the owners of the worst regular season record from last year (Arizona). It culminated in a postseason that was more of the same, with a second upset in the same season against Bay Area Falcons and a Championship Game blowout loss to Colorado. Utah wants redemption, but it won’t get easier to find consistency this year, as Utah Wild are turning over about half of their roster from last year. But, the 2024 Breakout Player of the Year Abbie Davis returns as a key contributor for this iteration. The returning core of the 2025 edition of Utah, led by 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Paige Kercher, Kat Songer, and a returning Cori Bigham, have demonstrated they have the firepower to push any team in the league. There will undoubtedly be growing pains, but the talent is present in Utah to go on another run if they can put it all together in time.
One number to know: 100% of Utah’s regular season games in the last two seasons were decided by three goals or less
If you’re going to play Utah, you better get ready for a battle. Across the 2023 and 2024 WUL regular seasons, every single game they’ve played ended within three points. They are 7-7 across their last 14 regular season games. Utah has pulled off a lot of unexpected upsets, and shown an ability to dictate the style of game being played. If this remains their identity in 2025, Utah’s ceiling and floor spans the widest of any team in the WUL.
2025 X Factor: Justine Cherwink
Justine Cherwink was an electric downfield playmaker for Utah Wild last season in her WUL debut, but she has her work cut out for her in 2025. Wild will need a full-on sophomore breakout from her to help fill the void due to the absence of Kendra Miller and Shae Wallen from this year’s roster. Cherwink demonstrated a willingness and ability to challenge some of the most difficult matchups in the league and to do so in style. For her to be Utah’s X factor, she’ll need to become a balanced threat on offense and lean on her handlers to find her dynamic cuts in the open space.
