- Pawel Janas
Note: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the WUL.
This edition is long enough without an unhinged soliloquy from yours truly, so I will keep this short: some people in this world are cowards.
I am specifically referring to my fellow talking heads (Editor’s note: who I appreciate very very much despite their shortcomings.). This week, we dish out clout and simulate trades, and no one (besides Ben) chose to upgrade their hypothetical roster with a trade. Oh, you don’t want to offend your friends? Econ 101 pal, nothing in this world is free - if you want to trade for Paige Applegate, you gotta give something up.
But Pawel, my roster is perfect, I don’t need anyone else!
Oh really? You are the GM of the team that has the 20+ best players in the league? Are you undefeated? Get a grip and throw someone (or something) under the bus and upgrade your roster, you cowards.
Question for April 13th, 2023:
Week 5 is in the books, and we are officially halfway done with the season. Besides Utah, every team has played at least four games. No team is undefeated. No team is winless. There is complete chaos in the standings. Besides San Diego, every team is still fighting for a spot at Championship Weekend. Let's start with this weekend's games: which win impressed you more, Colorado (home-field advantage?) or LA (villains getting payback for Week 1)? Is it time to panic in Arizona? Taking a step back and looking at the big picture, which individuals have stood out? Who is on your mid-season All-WUL first-team ballot? Finally, imagine you are the GM of your favorite team - who are you trading for (and what/who are you giving up) to make a push in the second half?
Impressive!
Ange: Colorado's roller-coaster win impressed me a ton. They put together runs in each half to come from behind and take the lead - that's really hard to do and requires a lot of focus and resilience. They also had a packed home-field stadium, which was both inspiring and impressive. Good job, Alpenglow players, coaches, and fans!
Lexi: My favorite game this weekend was from LA Astra. This team struggled last year and has come out firing this season. Their energy is high, and you can see the chip on their shoulder. I am here for the villain era of Maggie O’Connor. I want to be a villain after seeing that last game. 7 assists and 4 goals create a monster stat line. Weaver and Childress have been exciting to watch. Astra is full of players viewers might not know, but fans of the league will look up their number afterward.
I am going to offend Colorado. (I would be offended, but let’s have some spice.) Their win was partly due to home-field advantage and the timely absence of Dr. Kat Songer from Utah Wild’s backfield. Songer had 4 assists and threw for 378 yards in their last match-up. She is a game-changer in an up-and-down game and eventual loss by 3, especially since Colorado seemed to be at full strength.
That being said, Rory Veldman was a d line anchor for Colorado (as was Molly Robbins for Utah) and was all over the field. The deep shots for Colorado were connecting, especially the acrobatic grab by Jess Larson! Seeing Colorado win their first-ever home/game in front of a large crowd is why this league is important. Women-matching players are worth watching and are making plays! (Please go watch the statement-making endzone layout ds and grabs by McLaughlin, Dietrich, and Staller.) Give us the field and turn the cameras on.
Ben: LA really impressed me. Their offense looked so much smoother than it did in the first game against San Francisco, even in the windy conditions. There was a clear plan in place with how they initiated offense off the pull and off turnovers, and it really allowed their stars to shine. Additionally, they looked hungry. Just like San Francisco and Arizona did in their opening weekend wins, Astra was flying around the field on defense - I think I counted seven layout blocks over the course of the game? If each team keeps this energy, the fight for second place in the Southwest is going to be a joy to watch coming down the stretch.
Michael: Perhaps not everyone would know this but, with all due respect to LA, Colorado should be the easy answer to this question. Homefield advantage is a very real thing across professional ultimate, and Colorado had, by far, the best home crowd of any WUL game I've been to or watched. In addition to that crowd, no one should underestimate the difficulty of turning around less than one week after getting shellacked by Seattle and Oregon and facing off against another in-division opponent with, seemingly, the season on the line, and putting together your best performance of the season. Shout out to Colorado's coaches and players for staying mentally tough and to the home crowd for willing the Alpenglow on. If I had games yet to play in Denver, I would not be looking forward to playing a team that is hitting its stride in what may be becoming the toughest place to play in the league.
Nicole: Colorado winning at home was cool, and I'm happy for them, and all, but LA's win against SF was more impressive. Not necessarily because of the point differential or because it was on SF's home turf, but because did you see how they played? There were some huge highlight reel plays (shoutout to Audrey Brown) and some impressive stats. What I find most impressive is the increase in chemistry and defensive intensity from Week 1. They've improved as a team and used their losses to fuel their villain era, and they've got Champs weekend in their sights.
Pawel: You could see the LA win coming from a mile away. Fueled by their Week 1 embarrassment, a homecoming of sorts for the villain herself, and a generally positive trend over the last few weeks made LA an easy pick this week. Colorado winning, on the other hand, was actually impressive, especially after getting blown out on their Northwest trip. That’s some resilience right there.
Panic!
Ange: I'm very against panicking of any kind (too much stress is objectively not helpful to winning games - check out the Optimal Arousal Theory by Yerkes & Dorson). Arizona needs to continue to work on using their athleticism and mildly chaotic style of play to their advantage - when they find that perfect balance of organized chaos, they'll be a force to be reckoned with. I expect them to come out to San Diego this week with everything they've got to give us a tighter game.
Lexi: Looking to Arizona, that win against Seattle in Week 1 is well in the rearview mirror and perhaps was an overconfidence boost (again, spice.) The Week 3 losses (13-14 to LA and 9-11 against SF) make sense when you factor in the absence of Paige Applegate. The duo of Chang and Applegate has been impressive to watch. However, for Arizona to lose both games in Week 3 and get beat down by San Diego in Week 5 puts Arizona in a back-against-the-wall position. If I am Arizona, I feel the pressure, and I revel in it. My predictions for Week 6 are for Arizona to go 1-1. I think SD will win with ease. The real question for me is, if Arizona goes down early, will coaches rest star players for a must-win game the next day against the Astra? Will O’Connor lead Astra to the murder of Arizona's dreams? Will Arizona dig deep and pull out the fangs to survive?
Michael: Arizona, much like any team that goes on a three-game skid, should be quite concerned. With San Diego locking up a Championship Weekend spot, that means that Arizona is fighting for the last spot in the Southwest. With LA streaking and San Francisco showing plenty of signs of life, Arizona does not have room for error going forward. That being said, Arizona got underestimated in the offseason, and anyone who underestimates them going forward risks looking very foolish.
Nicole: There's no reason for Arizona to panic. I think they just need a reset. They came out strong on their home field in Week 1, and they know as well as I do, that they're more than capable of being that team again. They will have to work for it, and I'm sure they will. But I have no doubt we'll see some more big plays from players like Kez Gesell and Nora Landri. If AZ is great at anything, it's surprising everyone when it seems like they're down.
Pawel: It’s time to panic and burn it down to the ground. Find the big red button and press it before the season unravels this week versus Astra.
Clout!
Ange: My mid-season All-WUL first-team ballot includes Chip Chang and Paige Applegate from Arizona (have you seen their creativity and upside down throws?! *chef's kiss*); Jasmine Childress & Maggie O'Connor from LA (has Jasmine EVER missed a throw from Maggie?!); Rory Veldman from Colorado (I'm a sucker for great pulls and D line players who score break points); Jaycee Jones (four foot high layouts on offense and defense? sign me up); and Jamie Eriksson from Seattle (an absolute nightmare to guard). You'll notice I did not include any Super Bloom players...can't be playing favorites with my own players, you know?
This one is a little awkward - because I am effectively the GM of my favorite team. Also, I'm very pleased with the team we have here in San Diego this season, so I'm rolling with all of them to Championship Weekend. Trade window is closed. Thanks, though!
Lexi: My All WUL ballots for each conference are below. My metrics: 1 person from each team, no more than 2 from the same team, and using the weekly data as best as an English major can. I need to be honest; this is a more O-line-focused recognition list; my apologies to the d line folks out there. Like the middle child, you are getting overlooked, and I feel bad!
Northwest Conference:
Sadie Jezierski (SEA)
Kat Songer (UT)
Julia Sherwood (OR)
Frances Gellert (SEA)
Jade McLaughlin (CO),
Akane Kleinkopf (CO)
Tina Snieder (OR)
Southwest Conference:
Chip Chang (AZ)
Kaela Helton (SD)
Blair Messner (SD)
Maggie O’Connor (LA)
Gina Schumacher (SF)
Malina Wiebe (SF)
Kez Gesell (AZ)
If I were the GM of Tempest, I am not trading for anyone. See you on the field.
Ben: All-WUL midseason first team:
Avery Jones (SD): After playing a hybrid role on the Super Bloom offense last year, Jones has moved into a main handler role for this season and has taken to it with aplomb. She's hit on hucks at a good rate, moved the disc in that patented San Diego handler motion, and got open whenever her teammates needed an option. Perhaps most importantly, if I were a coach, there's no player in the league I'd trust more with the disc in their hands. There's a reason San Diego's worst offensive outputs of the season came without Jones in the lineup.
Maggie O’Connor (LA): Similar to Jones, O'Connor has also moved into the backfield after spending the 2022 season downfield and has done a tremendous job. She's putting up numbers that would make any center handler proud (3.5 assists and 300 throwing yards per game) while keeping turnovers to a minimum (1.5 per game). The big reason for that? She's hit on 12 of her 15 hucks - an 80% completion rate!
Paige Kercher (UT): Another game, another Paige Kercher 500-yard day. Kercher has picked up right where she left off as the league's yardage leader last year, setting a new single-game record with 708 total yards against Colorado this past weekend. In her six career WUL games, she has failed to total over 500 yards just once - a 483-yard effort against Oregon last year. You can't argue with production.
Gina Schumacher (SF): While San Francisco has, by and large, gotten their results by committee this year, Schumacher has played a pivotal role as an initiating cutter who can push the disc downfield. This has resulted in her leading the team in assists by 5 and in receiving yards by almost 300. Additionally, she's the only Falcons player to be top five on the team in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Jade McLaughlin (CO): McLaughlin does everything for Colorado, and is a major reason they aren't staring down the barrel of a winless season right now. She's first (or tied for first) on the team in goals, assists, blocks, and receiving yards. No other player in the league leads their team in more than two of the five major categories (the four listed and throwing yards).
Kaela Helton (SD): If you're building the perfect athlete, it doesn't get much better than Helton. She's the best player every time she steps on the field, and she doesn't take a point off. She's near the top of team and league leaderboards in nearly every major category. Not much more to say.
Frances Gellert (SEA): With Seattle's strategy of rotating players through three lines each game, it's hard for any of them to stand out on the stats leaderboards. But Gellert's consistently great play has resulted in her leading the team in goals and total yards while contributing over an assist and block per game as well. Overall she's been the best player on one of the best teams in the league.
There are so many players I want to talk about, so here's a second team: Hana Kawai (SEA), Avalon Igawa (LA), Abby Thorpe (CO), Malina Wiebe (SF), Dena Elimelech (SD), Kristen Pojunis (SD), Kody Lippincott (AZ)
I’m gonna take the helm of LA here (fight me for it, Pawel) because there is a fun, mutually beneficial trade I want to make with them, and totally not because I bought an LA Megafan jersey this year. I already discussed why I’ve been so impressed with how Maggie O’Connor has stepped into the center handler role, but ideally, I don’t want to have to sacrifice her goal-scoring ability.
Last year LA used Kaitlyn Weaver in that role, but I really like how she’s played as an initiating cutter this year as well. So, I’m trading for the handler with the biggest throws in the game - Sadie Jezierski. It took Jezierski just two games to set the WUL single-game assist record, and I’m drooling at the thought of her hucking to O’Connor, Weaver, and Jasmine Childress (speaking of, this move would also allow me to play Childress on defense more, and add some aerial prowess to a defense that generates most of their pressure in the under space). Now, obviously, a player like Jezierski is gonna demand a hefty fee, so in return, I’m giving Seattle Ava Hanna (a budding star who will thrive in that system), Naomi Guzman (a versatile handler who can be played with any line), and free practice facility usage whenever they get tired of waking up to dreary, grey skies.
- LA gets: Sadie Jezierski
- Seattle gets: Ava Hanna, Naomi Guzman, good weather
Michael: My midseason All-WUL Ballot (the Wild has only played two games, so I'm going with first-team non-Wild players... after Wild Wild Weekend, I expect this list to be seven Utah players:
Jade Mclaughlin (CO)
Sadie Jezierski (SEA)
Malina Wiebe (SF)
Dena Elimelech (SD)
Helen Eifert (AZ)
Julia Sherwood (OR)
Kristen Pojunis (SD)
If I were a GM for the Wild, I would make exactly zero trades. There's an urge to count the Wild out and count a lot of other teams in. One thing I'm confident in is that there is no other team in the WUL that is from a broader geographic range that cares so passionately about representing the places they come from as a collective. We have no holes in our roster and have only scratched the surface of the product this team can put together, and we don't need any folks from other rosters to reach our potential.
Nicole: I might have a little too much fun with this question. I've already mentioned Gesell and Landri from AZ, and I stand by those as some players that have stood out. Gesell is doubly impressive because, as many people have mentioned, she's still fairly new to the sport (I was there for her first-ever Ultimate League, shoutout Tucson Ultimate!) But she's certainly not new to being an athlete. She's passionate, hungry to win, and her defensive intensity has set her apart. There are good players, and there are dynamic players. Gesell is dynamic. She is the kind of player that makes the sport so much fun to watch.
Speaking of dynamic players, did you see Rory Veldman this weekend? Holy cow, why didn't I know about Rory before? LA Astra is full of players who are absolute game-changers. Maggie O'Connor and Avalon Igawa are my top picks. Their stats speak for themselves. Chip Yen, Blair Messner, Julia Salvacion, Kaitlynne Roling, Shaela Wallen. There are just too many to name.
If I'm the GM of my favorite team (Astra, duh), I'm trading for Rory Veldman and Lexi Garrity to have more deep looks available, and I'm also looking to add Sadie Jezierski and Paige Applegate to have more deep throwers (you know, for when Maggie can't be at a game.) I am going to politely decline trading anyone from this team. Thank you.
Pawel: If I’m the GM of LA, I am picking up a third job and signing Avalon Igawa to a 7-year deal. Center handlers are overvalued, and block-getters are undervalued.
LA gets - a long-term contract for Igawa
Pawel sacrifices - the last remnants of a personal life (it’s sad anyway) and sanity.
This Week’s Contributors:.
Michael Aguilar (he/him) is a co-head coach of the Utah Wild. He owes all his success in life to his wife Kendall. You can find him on Twitter @aguilar_eua and Instagram @justfathering.
Nicole Garnes (she/her) has played Ultimate frisbee since 2016, playing Club in both the Women's and Mixed Divisions in Arizona, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Follow Nicole on Twitter @bring_snaaacks.
Lexi Garrity (she/her) had a great time contributing to this week's coverage. Lexi plays for Seattle Tempest and Seattle Mixtape. You can find her on Twitter @lexigarrity10.
Pawel Janas (he/him) is the curator of West Perspective, so send your complaints his way. He plays for the Los Angeles Aviators in the AUDL and Chicago Machine in the USAU Men's Club Division. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram at @secondarypotato.
Ben Sadis (he/him) is a data collector and statistician for the WUL. He plays for Washington DC Rally in the USAU Mixed Club Division. He can be reached on Twitter at @ben_sadis.
Angela Wells (she/her) is the head coach of San Diego Super Bloom and San Diego Wildfire. For nearly two decades, she has coached and played for women's teams in San Diego. She is unapologetically loud and bossy, and endlessly supportive of providing opportunities for female, trans, and non-binary athletes of all ages to play sports together in her community.