League News
The playoff field is officially set, but the final weekend of the regular season still has plenty left to fight over. Seeding remains unsettled, rivalries are still simmering, and a few teams would love nothing more than ending someone else’s season on a loss. With four games left before Championship Weekend, the 2026 regular season still has a few twists remaining.
Arizona captain Kez Gesell earns Week 10 Player of the Week honors after a career-best all-around performance that highlighted one of the league's best comeback performances. Now the WUL hits pause. Week 11 brings a league-wide bye, giving contenders a chance to heal up and challengers one last opportunity to reset before the race for Championship Weekend enters its final stretch.
Championship Weekend is set. Seattle Tempest, Colorado Alpenglow, San Diego Super Bloom and Bay Area Falcons all punched their tickets Saturday in a playoff-clinching slate packed with pressure, late-game swings and season-defining moments. Same four teams as 2025. Different road to get there. Now, with one regular season weekend left, the race for seeding begins.
Colorado’s Kennedy McCarthy earns Week 9 Player of the Week honors after delivering another all-around performance: 5 goals, 3 assists, 416 total yards, and just 0.5 turns in a dominant showing that further cemented their breakout season. Now the playoff picture tightens heading into Week 10. Seattle Tempest, San Diego Super Bloom, Bay Area Falcons and Colorado Alpenglow all have a chance to clinch their spot in the championships this weekend, while Arizona Sidewinders and Oregon Soar fight to stay in the conversation.
LA’s Sabrina Belkin earns Week 8 Player of the Week honors after helping power Los Angeles Astra’s furious comeback push against San Diego, finishing among the league leaders in both assists and throwing yards. Now the focus shifts to a massive Week 9 slate. Seattle Tempest can become the first team to clinch a Championship Weekend berth with a win over San Diego Super Bloom, while Super Bloom can secure the same spot with a victory over Seattle and a Bay Area loss.
Chip Yen earned Player of the Week honors with 5 goals, 328 receiving yards, and 4 assists in a dominant Week 7. Week 8 features a high-stakes rematch as Los Angeles Astra host San Diego Super Bloom, plus Game of the Week: Arizona vs Oregon—two rising teams looking to reshape the standings after winless 2025 seasons.
In Week 5, Karli Steiner delivered a record-setting performance to earn Player of the Week honors, posting 7 assists and 516 throwing yards in a windy showcase while rewriting the Los Angeles Astra record book. In Week 6, San Diego Super Bloom travels to face Bay Area Falcons for a 2025 Championship Weekend rematch with Bay hunting for redemption; Oregon Soar heads north to take on Seattle Tempest in a game with heavy playoff implications.
In Week 4, Rachel Egan delivered an outstanding two-way performance to earn Player of the Week honors, leading Oregon Soar with control on both sides of the disc. Across the league, early identities have emerged as teams begin to separate in the standings and point differentials. In Week 5, the schedule intensifies—Seattle Tempest and the Arizona Sidewinders hit the road for doubleheaders across three days of action, as four games from Friday through Sunday start to put real pressure on depth, endurance, and early playoff positioning.
Three weeks into the 2026 WUL season, the numbers are starting to reveal each team’s identity.
San Diego continues to lead with efficient, low-turnover play, while Arizona’s improved D-line conversion has fueled early success. Bay Area and Colorado are finding rhythm after slower starts, and Oregon’s offensive growth has already led to a historic first win.
From efficiency gains to evolving roles, the stats highlight what’s driving teams—and what to watch next.
In Week 3, Caitlin Fitzgerald delivered a dominant two-way performance across Oregon’s doubleheader to earn Player of the Week honors, leading Soar to a historic first win and continuing to drive their early-season identity. Across the league, momentum began to build as teams found rhythm and separation. In Week 4, the stakes rise—a UT doubleheader and playoff positioning start to take shape as teams look to turn early flashes into consistency.
In Week 2, Kennedy McCarthy delivered a historic performance to earn Player of the Week honors, despite a tough road matchup in Seattle. Colorado split their Pacific Northwest doubleheader with a win over Oregon and a loss to the Tempest, while standout performances and record-setting moments defined the weekend. In Week 3, teams look to build momentum as early-season identities continue to take shape.
The 2026 Western Ultimate League season is just days away, kicking off with a 2025 WUL Championship Game rematch between last year’s winners San Diego Super Bloom, and runners-up, Bay Area Falcons. Both teams and the league as a whole have undergone significant changes over the past nine months. Between the return of Los Angeles Astra (and with them, an eight-team league), seismic cross-country roster moves, and everything in between, here is your primer on a very exciting fifth season of the WUL!
We’re excited to announce that the 2026 Western Ultimate League Championship Weekend will take place in Portland, OR!
Portland’s passionate sports community, vibrant culture, and deep roots in ultimate make it the perfect stage for our league’s most competitive and meaningful weekend of the year.
After our 12 week regular season, the top two teams from the Northwest Conference and Southwest Conference will travel to WUL Championship Weekend to determine the league winner. The event will take place in the NE Complex at UO Portland. Expect a fun-filled family-friendly frisbee event with food trucks, games, merch, and more. Tickets coming soon.
This will be the first time the WUL has had its Championship in Oregon.
Semifinal 1 - Northwest #1 vs Southwest #2
Semifinal 2 - Northwest #2 vs Southwest #1
3rd Place - Loser of Semifinal 1 vs Loser of Semifinal 2
Final - Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2
Can’t make it live? Catch the games streamed live and FREE on the WUL YouTube channel.
Seattle and Oregon come together once again for a high-stakes ultimate showdown that blends elite competition, regional pride, and a format you won’t see anywhere else. Seattle captured the Cup last year on Oregon’s turf in front of a packed stadium in Eugene. Can Oregon flip the script to steal it back in 2026?
Hosted at Interbay Stadium in Seattle, the event features top professional athletes from both the Western Ultimate League (WUL) and the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA). The showcase features the Seattle Tempest and Seattle Cascades facing off against the Oregon Soar and Oregon Steel in a unique crossover format designed to highlight talent across both leagues. The evening will conclude with a mixed-league matchup, reflecting the collaborative spirit and depth of talent within the Pacific Northwest ultimate community.
Longstanding rivalries between Seattle and Oregon extend across many sports, and the Northwest Cup continues that tradition within professional ultimate. The event provides fans with an opportunity to see multiple teams, styles of play, and divisions represented in a single competition.
Interbay Stadium | Seattle, WA
February 28, 2026
5:00 PM
Can’t make it in person? Watch live and FREE on YouTube.
The Northwest Cup uses a three-period structure, with total points across all periods determining the overall winner.
Period 1 (15 minutes | UFA rules)
Seattle Cascades vs. Oregon Steel
Period 2 (15 minutes | WUL rules)
Seattle Tempest vs. Oregon Soar
Period 3 (20 minutes | WUL rules | Mixed League)
Seattle Tempest & Cascades vs. Oregon Soar & Steel
The Northwest Cup highlights the growing partnership between the WUL and UFA and the strength of professional ultimate in the Pacific Northwest. For athletes, it is an opportunity to compete alongside and against familiar rivals in a fun and exciting format. For fans, it offers a rare chance to experience multiple professional teams in one setting.
The mixed period in particular underscores the region’s commitment to collaboration and innovation, bringing together athletes from both leagues in a shared competitive environment.
by Noam Gumerman, WUL Lead Writer
Full roster drops for the 2026 WUL season are coming soon, but that hasn’t stopped teams from making big moves early in the offseason. From locking in cornerstone players to landing major transfers, the groundwork for 2026 is already being laid. Which teams are leveling up? Who’s changing jerseys? And how will the return to an eight-team league reshape the competitive landscape? Let’s break down the most impactful roster moves so far.
Robyn Fennig Highlights Returning Vets to Bay Area Falcons
After falling just two points short of a first-ever WUL Championship—on home turf, no less—the Bay Area Falcons have re-signed their offensive engine, Robyn Fennig. Fennig helped propel the Falcons to the final, commanding the offense throughout the season. She finished with the second-most throwing yards across the league, earned First Team All-WUL honors, and was an MVP finalist.
Fennig adds a level of verticality to the Bay Area offense that, in recent years, only Colorado—with Ari Nelson—has consistently matched. But she’s also an elite decision-maker who controls the pace of play at a very high level. With another year in Bay Area’s system, she’ll be an even greater threat.
And it’s not just Fennig. Bay Area has also signed five other multi-year Falcons veterans who have been key contributors, signaling a continued commitment to building an experienced roster. Georgia Cardosa (2025 DPOTY finalist, Second Team All-WUL) and Margo Donahue (2024 BPOTY finalist, Second Team All-WUL) headline the returning group. We’ll see if any big-name rookies join the Falcons once again, but even if Bay Area brings back the same roster as last season, they’ll enter 2026 with a strong chance to capture the WUL title.
Kyra Khoroujnikova (UT) and Megan Maxfield (CO) Join Defending Champs
The biggest news from San Diego Super Bloom’s roster announcement (the first of the 2026 team rosters to drop) was the addition of longtime Utah Wild stalwart Kyra Khoroujnikova and standout defender Megan Maxfield, who previously starred with Arizona Sidewinders and Colorado Alpenglow. For a team that—despite their offensive firepower—rode a dominant defensive performance to their first-ever WUL Championship in 2024, the additions of Khoroujnikova and Maxfield feel like a case of the rich getting richer.
Both players add depth, range, and versatility to a defense that stifled every offense in the league last season and seamlessly shifted between zone, person, and hybrid looks. Perhaps even more notably, it’s a talent-stealing coup for San Diego. Both the Wild and Alpenglow will look noticeably thinner without Khoroujnikova and Maxfield and will have to adjust to life without two players who consistently did the little things right for their teams.
San Diego Super Bloom Enter New Era Without Dena Elimelech
Despite the flurry of signings, perhaps the most significant news of the pre-signing period is the departure of Dena Elimelech from the defending champion San Diego Super Bloom to the PUL’s Atlanta Soul. Elimelech has been a cornerstone of Super Bloom’s core for several seasons and was a critical contributor to their championship run a year ago. Among her many accolades, she is the WUL’s all-time leader in both blocks and receiving yards.
Khoroujnikova and Maxfield will help fill some of the gaps, and Super Bloom has also signed Cam Helm and Naomi Guzman from Los Angeles Astra, along with 2025 USAU College Callahan Award winner Laura Blume. Still, none of those players—at least so far—replicate exactly what Elimelech brought to the field. Who steps up to fill the void left by one of the greatest players in league history will be the central question facing the Super Bloom roster in 2026.
Kristen Reed, Kez Gesell Make Returns To WUL With Arizona
Arizona has endured a challenging couple of seasons, but the Sidewinders have made several moves aimed at stabilizing the roster and pushing toward the franchise’s first-ever winning season. Chief among them are the return of a healthy Kez Gesell and the addition of offensive powerhouse, Kristen Reed.
Gesell and Reed both address one of Arizona’s biggest struggles in recent years: scoring goals.
Reed, a proven goal-scorer at every level she’s played, immediately raises Arizona’s offensive ceiling. In her lone WUL season with Colorado in 2023, Reed finished with 21 goals—third-most in the league—including an unforgettable seven-goal performance against Bay Area that showcased her ability to completely take over a game. Known for her elite timing and natural instinct for finding space in the endzone, Reed has consistently been one of the most difficult downfield matchups in the league. Her résumé beyond the WUL only reinforces that reputation, having led top club programs (namely Molly Brown) as a primary scoring threat.
Paired with Gesell—2023’s Breakout Player of the Year and a relentless cutter—Reed gives Arizona something it has lacked in recent seasons: a reliable, high-volume finishing duo capable of converting possessions into points. If the Sidewinders can complement that firepower with even modest improvements in throwing depth and offensive consistency, Gesell’s and Reed’s return could be the catalyst that finally allows Arizona’s offense to operate with confidence and pace.
As full rosters for the 2026 WUL season begin to take shape, these early moves offer a glimpse into how teams are positioning themselves for the year ahead. From defending champions doubling down on depth, to returning stars reshaping offenses and departures forcing new leaders to emerge, the ripple effects of the offseason are already being felt across the league.
With eight teams back in the fold and more signings still to come, this is only the beginning. The next few months will reveal which teams have built on their momentum—and which still have work to do—before the opening pull of the 2026 season.
Get ready for a historic showcase—the WUL vs PUL All-Star Game takes place this Saturday, August 23 at 2pm PT as part of the UFA Championship Weekend in Madison, WI.
For the first time, the Western Ultimate League and Premier Ultimate League All-Stars will face off in a game that highlights the talent, passion, and power of professional women’s ultimate. Expect breathtaking plays, unforgettable moments, and a celebration of community and inclusion at the highest level.
🎟️ In Madison? Be part of the action in person and witness this landmark game live. Get tickets here.
📺 Watching from home? Stream the game free on WUL YouTube, or watch with your UFA.tv subscription.
This is more than an exhibition—it’s a moment in ultimate history. Don’t miss it.
Abby Thorpe - Colorado Alpenglow
A dynamic cutter with speed to burn, Thorpe stretches the field and creates scoring opportunities every time she’s on the line. She’s a rising star whose relentless work rate makes her a constant threat, and she has the accolades to back it up.
Robyn Fennig - Bay Area Falcons
A seasoned veteran from the PUL turned field general in the WUL, Fennig brings unmatched vision and leadership. Her ability to control the pace of play and deliver pinpoint throws makes her one of the most dangerous players in the game.
Team Captains: Justine Cherwink & Allysha Dixon
WUL All-Star Captains Justine Cherwink (Utah Wild) and Allysha Dixon (Colorado Alpenglow) set the standard for this WUL All-Star squad. Both are fierce defenders who have earned league-wide recognition for their impact, and both lead with a mix of intensity, composure, and an unwavering drive to improve. Cherwink and Dixon embody what it means to compete at the highest level—pushing themselves, their teammates, and the game forward.
Coaches: Chelsea Putnam & Jonathan Helton
Coaches Jonathan “Goose” Helton (San Diego Super Bloom) and Chelsea Putnam (Oregon Soar) will lead the WUL All-Stars in this historic match-up. Fresh off guiding San Diego to their first championship, Goose brings a wealth of professional playing and coaching accolades to the role. Putnam adds deep experience from years of shaping the Oregon ultimate scene, known for her steady leadership and strategic insight. Together, they’ll steer the WUL squad as they face off against the PUL.
WUL and PUL have slightly different rule sets so the game will be played as a hybrid of the two.
Timed 4 quarter game using PUL ruleset
10 second stall (not 7 seconds like WUL games)
No precheck and no buzzer beaters
40/60 seconds between pulls; 70 sec timeouts
2:30 min between quarters
A Historic Weekend in Ultimate, A Shared Commitment to Inclusion
The Ultimate Frisbee Association, Western Ultimate League, and the Premier Ultimate League will come together for the first multi-league-wide weekend, August 22-23, 2025, in Madison, WI. The UFA will host its championship games, and the WUL and PUL will face off in the inaugural All-Star Game.
The leadership for the three leagues would like to invite our athletes, coaches, and staff to share the vision that our host city’s ultimate organization, the Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association (MUFA), has for the protection of transgender people in light of the challenges to their rights:
“The executive order barring transgender women and girls from participating in sports has left our friends and teammates once again targeted by legislation created to drive discriminatory and hateful policies that weaponize harmful stereotypes in an attempt to erase transgender athletes from these spaces. MUFA categorically rejects these attempts to drive a wedge through our communities and the hurtful effort to remove opportunities from people that deserve them as much as anyone. MUFA remains proudly committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for athletes of all gender expressions. Sport is an essential part of people's lives. It provides a physical, mental, and emotional outlet and can offer camaraderie in a time when many find themselves increasingly isolated. MUFA believes in empowering all of our players to safely participate as their authentic selves. Agender, gender non-conforming (GNC), genderqueer, or gender fluid players remain encouraged to join MUFA leagues and match up with the players that they feel most comfortable playing with and marking. This statement has represented our leagues in the past and will remain our commitment going forward. MUFA’s full gender inclusion policy can be found here.
MUFA is proud to have fostered a community where people across all spectrums can play and thrive as their best selves, and we commit to continuing to work to make our community a better place for those from marginalized backgrounds through our policies and actions. In the face of a wave of discrimination and hate, we will work tirelessly to reinforce MUFA as a community for all.”
The leadership of the three leagues stands behind the MUFA statement, and we would like to share some resources to engage with to raise awareness and to deepen understanding of the issues facing transgender people.
ACLU Action: Transgender Rights | American Civil Liberties Union
Human Rights Campaign: Human Rights Campaign
Transgender student athlete bill tracker: Take Action | transathlete
Written by Noam Gumerman
WUL Lead Writer
Just like that, the 2025 WUL regular season has come and gone. Championship Weekend is just a week away. Colorado Alpenglow, San Diego Super Bloom, Seattle Tempest, and Bay Area Falcons will all head to Oakland to compete for a WUL Championship. But a lot happened during the last few months to get us to this point–from the debut of a new team in the league, the first player in WUL history to hit 10,000 career yards gained, thrilling games going down to the wire, and so much more. Here’s a look back at all the action ahead of the postseason.
The most obvious trend when looking at the standings is the clear division of the standings between the top four headed to Championship Weekend (Colorado, San Diego, Seattle, Bay Area) and the bottom three (Utah, Oregon, Arizona) who are not. So stark was the contrast between the top and bottom halves this year that we saw no upsets. The best four teams in the league took care of business against the bottom three. In past years, there were a couple of upsets that caused some late-season drama for Championship Weekend spots, but the top half of the league was fully locked in this year.
Another interesting league-wide trend was the uptick of zone defense used across the league. After a low usage year in 2024 (other than Seattle), zone came back with a force in 2025. The top two regular-season teams led the charge. Both San Diego Super Bloom and Colorado Alpenglow ran zone one-fifth of the time on defense, which helped propel them to 5-1 and 6-0 records, respectively. All year long these two teams used their zones to prevent opposing offenses from ever getting in rhythm against them, and it worked. Interestingly, after playing zone nearly 30% of the time last year and missing Championship Weekend for the first time, Seattle Tempest completely flipped their defensive philosophy to great success, and are returning to the final four this year.
COLORADO ALPENGLOW | Season Record: 6-0
Colorado Alpenglow finished as the only undefeated team during the regular season. Simply put — they dominated. After a 3-3 regular season last year, they were a bit of a Cinderella story winning twice in the postseason to take home the WUL Championship. However, this year they seem to have reached a new level. Last year, Ari Nelson and Abby Thorpe dominated the stats on offense for Colorado on their way to OPOTY and MVP honors. This year, Nelson and Thorpe had impressive seasons as well, but they picked up even bigger contributions than last year from returners like Rory Veldman, Bristol Lovoy, Jade McLaughlin, Sarah Itoh, and others. Alpenglow went 6-0, including a regular season finale 10-7* win over previously undefeated San Diego.
*game shortened due to inclement weather
San Diego Super Bloom | Season Record: 5-1
Speaking of San Diego, Super Bloom also had another incredible regular season. Five wins, one loss and looking dominant while doing so. Yes, Kaela Helton, Dena Elimelech and Kelli Iwamoto were stars once again, but the improved depth on Super Bloom was the big story. Helton and Elimelech did not play as much as they have in the past, and new additions and familiar faces alike came together to lighten the load. Kaitlyn Weaver, Rebecca Ellis, Avery Jones and Yu Ishii became the heart of a powerful engine that drove this team to another impressive season. They’ve done it with a much more balanced, sustainable method this year, and perhaps it will finally bear fruits on Championship Weekend for San Diego.
SEATTLE TEMPEST | Season Record: 5-1
Seattle Tempest also finished 5-1, and were just a point away from going 6-0, falling to San Diego in an OT thriller for their only loss. They will get a rematch for that universe point game at Championship Weekend against San Diego soon, though. After a down year in 2024, Tempest are back in the mix for a WUL title after winning two back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. This past year, Tempest made a lot of scheme changes that worked out well. They transitioned to a more traditional O-D line subbing system, played more tight person defense, and rode both decisions to five wins. But perhaps the biggest impact on their fortunes came from the otherworldly play of Sadie Jezierski this year. Jezierski was one of our preseason X-Factors, and played towards her ceiling this year. The league’s blocks leader was all over the field at all times, earning extra possessions for Tempest and helping convert them for extra scores. In addition to veterans like Cheryl Hsu who, as always, was a driving force, Julia Hasbrook was a breakout star for the Tempest as well. Seattle’s depth has always been one of their standout traits, and this year was no different.
BAY AREA FALCONS | Season Record: 4-2
Bay Area Falcons are headed back to Championship Weekend, but unlike last year (top seed with the best regular season record), they come in as the fourth seed this year. The addition of Robyn Fennig made all the headlines across the regular season with her big numbers and impressive play with this squad. Han Chen had another solid campaign alongside her in the Bay Area backfield. But in the big moments for this team in the regular season, the team just didn't look as in sync as they did last year. They largely took care of business, but if Bay Area wants to play for a title, they are going to have to be peaking at the right time this year.
UTAH WILD | Season Record: 1-5
For Utah Wild, a 1-5 regular season was a step back after an underdog run to the WUL Championship game last year. Last year, Wild made a name for themselves playing every team close, winning some games they shouldn’t have, and losing some games they shouldn’t have. This year, they couldn’t put themselves in those situations to steal games. They never found their rhythm on offense or defense. Paige Kercher, despite hitting 10,000 career yards during the season, was moved back and forth between offense and defense, and the chemistry on both lines suffered. There were some losses from the 2024 team that the 2025 version never really found the replacement production for, and while Kat Songer and Justine Cherwink stepped up with phenomenal seasons, the depth of the Wild lagged far behind those in the top four.
OREGON SOAR | Season Record: 0-6
Oregon Soar’s inaugural WUL season was marked by some flashes of brilliance coupled with the expected results of a team composed mostly of pro rookies. A winless season for the Soar is certainly disappointing, but they found some franchise cornerstones for Championship Weekend in the future. Noelle Takahashi, Jackie Riley, and Kimber Coles, amongst others, all provided big sparks for this team. Soar pushed Bay Area (twice) and Colorado to the brink more than any team outside the top four did. They showed a high ceiling and a low floor. If in 2026 this squad can raise their floor level of play and keep their ceiling high, they could be pushing for a spot in the final four sooner than we think.
ARIZONA SIDEWINDERS | Season Record: 0-6
Arizona Sidewinders dropping from one win last year to no wins this year isn’t a big change in the grand scheme of things, but the way in which their games this year played out vs. how they did last year was disappointing. Last year, Sidewinders were another team that prided themselves on being a tough matchup for anyone. They didn’t manage to close games out very well, but they played just about everyone close. This year was a different story. Sidewinders were on the wrong end of some big blowouts. Their offensive core that served them so well last year was less productive than last year, as teams could really key in on the Arizona backfield as their engine. But the most significant regressions were on defense. Back-to-back games with no breaks made dubious league history, but notching just 12 total across six games made it impossible to find a win. Returners Paige Applegate and Melissa Dunn had standout individual seasons, and newcomer Brittay Stettmeier was a revelation. But for the team, it’s back to the drawing board for 2026.
2025 WUL Championship Weekend
Don’t miss the action over championship weekend! Grab your tickets early to claim your space in the stands, find a watch party near you or catch the action live on the WUL YouTube Channel! On Semifinals Saturday, first catch 5-1 San Diego Super Bloom taking on 5-1 Seattle Tempest; then, undefeated 6-0 Colorado Alpenglow face off against 4-2 hosts Bay Area Falcons. Then on Sunday, watch the winners play for the 2025 WUL Championship!
