AMERICAN CONFERENCE MVP: WR Jackie Radford, Minnesota Vixen
This St. Paul native led WFA PRO in receptions with 42, was second in receiving yards with 519 and tied for second in touchdown receptions with nine. As QB Erin Kelley’s top target, Radford played a key part in the Vixen’s incredible season, highlighted by a close cross-country win over the D.C. Divas in a battle of the sport’s most legendary franchises, handing the Nebraska Pride their only defeat of the regular* season and not losing a single game to any team not named the St. Louis Slam. With Radford and her teammates on the rise, the Vixen’s next quarter century looks even brighter than the last one!
AMERICAN CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: WR Brianna Barret, Cali War
This San Diego native and USC alumna won the WFA PRO rushing “Triple Crown,” leading the Alliance’s top level in rushing yards with 886, yards per carry with 26.1 and rushing touchdowns with 11. In addition, Barrett was the War’s top receiver, with 355 receiving yards on 21 receptions for 16.9 yards per catch and four touchdowns. Her offensive performance spurred the War through the ever-tough American Conference to secure a 5-1 record and their fifth consecutive playoff berth.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Mary Altepeter, St. Louis Slam
As she has for the last five seasons, Altepeter once again stood out as a key part of Dem Slam Girlz’ defensive unit, with the Chesterfield, MO native and Sacred Heart University alumna leading her team in solo tackles with 24, tied for the assist tackles lead with 17 and leading in combined tackles with 41. While Altepeter picked up 4.5 TFLs, one forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception and pass deflection each and helped the Slam only allow 83 points all season (tied with the Pittsburgh Passion for fewest points allowed in WFA PRO), it was her intangibles in leadership and charisma that that helped the Slam the most through their magical season, highlighted by snapping the Boston Renegades’ five-year championship streak and helping the Slam win their fifth national title.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE MVP: QB Marcelina Chavez, Pittsburgh Passion
A ten-year veteran who cut her teeth leading the Tampa Bay Inferno to greatness, Marcelina Chavez has proven to be just as solid under center with the Passion. In her third season in Pittsburgh, the Punxsutawney resident had a breakout season, going 47-82 for 531 passing yards and five touchdowns. However, it was Chavez’s incredible scramble game that got her to MVP honors, picking up the most rushing yards of any WFA PRO National Conference quarterback with 359, averaging 8.2 yards per carry and tying for the second-most rushing touchdowns of any WFA PRO running back with nine. Chavez’s strong arm and swift feet played a key role in leading the Passion to an undefeated 6-0 regular season and an average of 44.7 points per game.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Amanda Congialdi, D.C. Divas
A thirteen-year veteran of women’s tackle football, Amanda Congialdi’s eighth season as a D.C. Diva proved one of her biggest challenges as a leader, but also one of the more fun seasons of her career. Starting the season with twelve wide receivers on her roster (only three of whom had played for more than one year), the Baltimore resident and Penn State alumna nonetheless helped bring out the best in her Divas, leading WFA PRO in passing yards with 1,358, in completed passes with 100 and tying the St. Louis Slam’s Jaime Gaal for the most passing touchdowns in WFA PRO with 19. Three Divas wide receivers would go on to win First-Team All-American honors (including two first-timers and one in her very first year as a receiver).
NATIONAL CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Essi Saastamoinen, D.C. Divas
Although this was her first season playing in the USA for the WFA and the Divas, Essi Saastamoinen (pronounced “sah-sta-moy-nen”) had already built up a solid legacy in her native Finland, playing five years with the Turku Trojans and leading the Finnish team to the bronze medal as the host nation of the 2022 IFAF Women’s World Championship. The States soon got a quick reminder of Essi’s pure power, as she went on to lead WFA PRO with 73 combined tackles and place third in solo tackles with 51 (twice as many as the second-highest Divas’ solo tackler got!). With five TFLs and one forced fumble, Essi played an absolutely instrumental part in this breakout season for the Divas, helping them put up a strong fight against their top-caliber opponents all season, particularly their closest game in six years against their nemeses the Boston Renegades in the WFA PRO National Conference Semifinal. Essi will return to Finland to play in the Turku Trojans’ fall season and to lead her Finnish national team to battle in the 2024 IFAF European Championships Silver Medal Game against Great Britain on August 17.
COACH OF THE YEAR:Teresa Conn, Pittsburgh Passion
As the Passion’s principal owner for almost 20 years, the role Teresa Conn has played in making the Pittsburgh Passion the legendary women’s football franchise they are today cannot be overstated. Since 2008, Conn has served as the Passion’s Co-Head Coach, with her and her various head coaching partners (currently legendary Passion QB Lisa Horton) helping inspire the Steel City’s women’s tackle football team to the on-field greatness they have exuded for the past two decades. This season was incredible even by the Passion’s own lofty standards; with Coach Conn helping to lead them to a perfect 6-0 season, securing the top seed in the WFA PRO National Conference. Third in the WFA in points scored with 268 and tied with the St. Louis Slam for fewest points allowed with 83, the Passion left no doubt in their victories, getting all but one of their wins by at least 18 points. The lone exception to that was June 8’s thrilling 26-21 victory over the five-time defending WFA PRO National Champion Boston Renegades. With this spectacular season, Coach Conn is motivated to finish what she started next year and bring her Passion to Canton for the 2025 WFA PRO National Championship.
