Ultiworld’s All-Membership 2022: 2nd Workforce (Girls’s)
Rounding out the 14 greatest gamers of the 2022 membership season.
November 4, 2022 by Ultiworld in Awards with comments
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Ultiworld is happy to announce our annual Membership Awards, persevering with with our All-Membership Second Workforce in every division. Whereas we contemplate each common season and postseason efficiency, due to the character of the Membership Division, we weight success within the Sequence and at Nationals above all else. The Membership Awards are voted on by Ultiworld reporters, contributors, and editors.
Our All-Membership groups acknowledge the highest performers throughout the division. Whereas beforehand we have now closed our Awards with our First Workforce and Second Workforce, displaying the highest seven and subsequent seven gamers who had the very best seasons, they’ve been moved up within the schedule. As our voting course of is ordered, the highest vote-getters for All-American honors operate because the ordered checklist in our Participant of the 12 months voting — our highest particular person award.
Player of the Year Award
All-Club First Team
All-Membership Second Workforce
Offensive Participant of the 12 months Award
Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award
Breakout Participant of the 12 months Award
Coach of the 12 months Award
Membership Awards Voting Breakdown
2022 Girls’s All-Membership Second Workforce
Claire Desmond (San Francisco Fury)
There’s a power drawback when making an attempt to speak in regards to the excellence of Fury—determining who their greatest participant is in any given season. This yr, it was Claire Desmond stepping as much as the plate for San Francisco, each extremely reliable and remarkably clutch all through Fury’s lengthy season. At instances it was delicate work from Desmond, making the mandatory clearing cuts and short-range passes to assist drive the Fury offense ahead. In different situations she made breaks occur almost all on her personal, when given the possibility on protection, with enormous and essential blocks.
Take Fury’s double recreation level win over Brute Squad within the semifinals. In that recreation, not solely did Desmond contribute two objectives, two assists, and a block, however within the first half she received up over Angela Zhu for a short-field block after which scored the fast strike purpose to present Fury an early 5-2 lead. These types of massive performs appear to return simple to Desmond as she cruises throughout the sector searching mismatches and open areas, all of the whereas tallying not less than a purpose and an help in every recreation Fury performed in San Diego. That mixture of spotlight reel-play and offensive consistency will make you a standout even on Fury’s roster, and Desmond did simply that this yr.
–Jenna Weiner
Kami Groom (Raleigh Phoenix)
Throughout all sports activities, one of many defining options of the greats is their longevity. It’s not simply brilliance, it’s sustained brilliance. By now, it’s protected to say Kami Groom has met that standards. For nearly a decade now, Groom has had the Zoom. It’s not simply that she will be able to out-speed her opponents, both. This season’s Groom was the savvy veteran on a younger staff that clearly benefitted from her presence. Extra than simply a person expertise, she made her staff higher simply by being on the sector with them. As a steadying power, Groom made the appropriate minimize on the proper time, adopted by the appropriate throw on the proper time, which preceded a purpose most of the time.
By now, a lot has been written about Groom that it’s exhausting to the touch upon one thing that isn’t already well-known. Granted, her recreation has matured over time, however she’s each bit the game-altering expertise that she was on Brute Squad. It’d not be a slam dunk every time she takes the sector, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a tactful layup. In spite of everything, a bucket is a bucket on the finish of the day, and Groom stays a strolling bucket.
–Graham Gerhart
Dena Elimelech (San Diego Flipside)
For these anxious that the way forward for our sport shall be dominated by worldwide imports, Dena Elimelech’s season ought to quell these fears. The SoCal star continues to be one of many brightest lights within the division, making even essentially the most stellar performs appear commonplace. Flipside performed quite a lot of tight video games all year long, usually in opposition to the very best groups within the nation. In virtually each certainly one of them, you possibly can level again to Elimelech because the trigger for his or her success. her athleticism extends past simply operating and leaping to her marking, her pivoting, and her prolonged launch factors.
Hikers will attempt to inform you Mt. Whitney has the very best elevation in California however ask any final participant they usually’ll inform you the true reality: Elimelech can go greater. No shot is a 50/50 if she’s below the disc. Her uncommon mixture of top and hops causes defenders to interrupt out in sweats at evening. No quantity of positioning can overcome Elimelech when she desires the disc. As is the case with all nice gamers, you possibly can’t shut her down, you possibly can solely include her.
–Graham Gerhart
Anna Thompson (San Francisco Fury)
Fury has an extended legacy of getting celebrity handlers main their strains, with Alex Snyder, Carolyn Finney, and Anna Nazarov arguably the three greatest names in that group in latest Fury historical past. Nevertheless, it might be time to consider including one other title to that checklist—Anna Thompson. Thompson adopted up a 2021 POTY runner-up season with one other excellent yr, this time main Fury with 13 assists at Nationals as she paced San Francisco’s offense recreation after recreation.
In opposition to Flipside within the quarterfinals, Thompson put up 5 assists, 4 of which got here within the first half as Fury took an 8-4 lead, the previous UPenn star lethal along with her deep throws. Thompson performs fearlessly on offense and protection, capable of throw key assists for Fury even by miniscule home windows and is greater than keen to go get the block again when San Francisco turns it over, as evidenced by her superb structure block to disclaim a primary half Molly Brown purpose within the last. Bringing collectively phenomenal throwing ability with tenacious protection is a transparent recipe for achievement, and at simply 25 years outdated Thompson appears to be like the a part of yet one more present, and virtually assuredly future, Fury celebrity handler.
–Jenna Weiner
Sarah Meckstroth (Raleigh Phoenix)
Overheard on the sidelines at Nationals: “I knew Sarah Meckstroth was a terrific participant in blended, however I didn’t understand she’d be this good in girls’s.” Sure, even on this yr of 2022, individuals are nonetheless simply discovering out that Workforce USA’s three-time nationwide champion previously of the blended division is excellent at this entire “taking part in final” factor, and she or he proved it but once more this season with Raleigh Phoenix.
And actually, why wouldn’t Meckstroth’s distinctive all-around capabilities translate to the ladies’s division? A defensive powerhouse, Meckstroth is greater than able to shutting down her opponents greatest gamers, whereas between her size and her clockwork cut-timing she is a matchup nightmare for whoever has the unenviable job of making an attempt to protect her. Add in a wholesome dose of pinpoint deep throws (Meckstroth had as many assists as blocks on the weekend with seven a bit) and a wealth of veteran savvy for a nonetheless younger Phoenix staff, and Meckstroth continues to point out that regardless of whether or not it’s in a blended or girls’s division setting, she’s nonetheless a dominant power on the sector.
–Jenna Weiner
Opi Payne (San Francisco Fury)
We’ve now reached the purpose in 2022 the place the very best gamers on this planet are identified for his or her two-way capacity. Properly, that is likely to be the usual now, however Opi Payne is mannequin on which that normal has been constructed. In the event you’re ever questioning what Payne can do on an final subject, the reply is: no matter it takes to make her staff higher. Payne might be your greatest defender, cutter, or thrower if that’s what you want from her, no questions requested.
Fury continues to be flush with expertise in comparison with virtually each different staff within the division, however when the rubber hits the street, it’s gamers like Payne that get them to finals and maintain them preventing till the final level. There wasn’t a lot left for Payne to show coming into this season, and but she refuses to place the automotive in impartial. She may experience off into the sundown at any level, and as an alternative remains to be in most overdrive, taking part in in sixth gear with the brakes minimize off. She’s not slowing down, and why ought to she? Your entire division’s nonetheless making an attempt to be similar to Opi.
–Graham Gerhart
Yina Cartagena (New York BENT)
It’s uncommon {that a} participant is so proficient, so supernatural, that they’ll make an All Membership checklist with out making it to Nationals. Even for those who didn’t have an opportunity to see her play in-season, Cartagena’s repute speaks for itself. Or fairly, it shouts for itself. It roars with the dominance of a T-Rex in Jurrasic Park.
Properly, if her repute is that robust, I assure you that her in-person capacity is even higher. Cartagena is the kind of one that belongs with the disc in hand. She’s so exceedingly comfy with the disc that it appears to be like like an extension of her when she’s gripping it, and a lethal projectile as soon as she’s thrown it. Regardless of lacking a lot of the common season for her staff by taking part in at World Video games and WUCC, Cartagena confirmed up for her staff when it mattered. BENT was locked into in a star-studded area, however Cartagena nonetheless performed like she was the very best participant on the sector when she was lively. Her confidence is well-founded, too. There are few gamers that may shoulder the accountability Cartagena accepts when taking part in, and nobody could make stress look commonplace just like the Colombian.
–Graham Gerhart
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