NAPLES, Fla. -- Ten years ago, Georgia won its first and only WCLA Division I championship. Many traditionalists know that the 10th anniversary gift is usually tin or aluminum, but the Bulldogs are more than happy to accept a glass substitute this year – the WCLA champions’ trophy.
The special glassware is headed back to Athens because Georgia celebrated its 2016 title by adding a second WCLA championship Friday evening with a 12-9 victory over Clemson.
“This is such an amazing way to end my senior season,” said all-tournament defender and club president Alex Young. “People don’t realize how unique this club lacrosse experience is. Going to Georgia was the best decision I ever made and joining this team was the second best decision because these are my best friends and my favorite people.”
As league rivals, Clemson and Georgia were squaring off for the third time this season, with the Tigers having recorded narrow victories in both prior games. This one followed the same pattern, with neither team able to pull too far ahead. The score was tied for the sixth time at 9-9 early in the fourth quarter following a three-goal spurt by Clemson.
But the last 11 minutes belonged to Georgia, with All-American attacker Mia Pisani scoring her fourth and fifth of the game and midfielder Annie Ritter adding one goal and one assist. Sophomore goalie Emily Weir and the Bulldog defense then shut the door.
“After losing in the final four last year, I guess this was our revenge tour in 2026,” said Weir, who finished with 10 saves and was selected as the tournament’s most outstanding player. “It can be hard at times to find a team that truly meshes well, but we all really enjoy playing together and spending time together. It’s really special.”
Georgia, which finishes 12-6 overall, becomes just the fourth team seeded sixth or lower to win the WCLA championship. The Bulldogs arrived in Naples as the number eight seed and after opening play with a win against No. 9 Auburn, they defeated three higher seeds in No. 1 UC Santa Barbara, No. 5 Michigan, and No. 6 Clemson.
The Tigers finish 12-3 overall and made their first championship game appearance.
But the day belonged to the Bulldogs, who earned the trophy the hard way this year after marching to their first title in 2016 as the number one seed. More recently, Georgia also had two runner-up finishes in 2022 & 2023.
“We all just want to play the sport that we love, and to have opportunities like this and to have this amazing championship experience is such a blessing,” Young said. “What USA Lacrosse is doing with the WCLA is remarkable. This experience just gets better and better every year.”
Friday’s Scores
3rd Place Game: Michigan def Virginia Tech, 14-12
5th Place Game: UC Santa Barbara def Boston College, 10-6
7th Place Game: Florida def Michigan State, 12-10
9th Place Game: Penn St def Utah, 6-5
11th Place Game: Cal Poly def Auburn, 8-6
13th Place Game: UCLA def San Diego State, 12-11
15th Place Game: Texas A&M def Oregon State, 13-9
All-Tournament Team
Att -- Ava Baselga – Michigan
Att -- Meg Heflin – Georgia
Att -- Audrey Mirak – Clemson
Att -- Jackson McDaniel – Georgia
Mid -- Mia Pisani – Georgia
Mid -- Heidi Albrecht – Clemson
Mid -- Allie Joswick – Georgia
Mid -- Nini Clarke – Clemson
Def --Charlotte Plano – Virginia Tech
Def -- Kelly Egan – Clemson
Def --Alex Young – Georgia
GK -- Emily Weir – Georgia (MVP)
Capelli Sport, CWENCH, Halpern Travel, Gait Lacrosse, GoLive Sports, N&D Sports, and SportsEngine serve as official event sponsors for the 2026 USA Lacrosse WCLA Championships, with local support provided by Florida’s Paradise Coast – Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.
