Before we get into the UPCL Draft for Tournament XII, let's break down the trades that happened during Monday's transfer window.
First up was a simple swap for two players in need of a change of scenery. The Stonebridge Wolves traded former captain Juno to the Todavía Stills for Sierra in a one-for-one deal. For the Stills, they get a little bit of toughness and leadership on a talented roster, while the Wolves get a proven veteran who has had a couple of down years. Hershey was subsequently named the Wolves' new captain in honor of his dedication and growth with the team.
The Atlantic Pirates seemed set to rebuild through the draft, but they scrapped those plans. They sent Isabella and the 15th overall pick to the Central Warriors in exchange for Graham and the 28th overall pick, then picked up Bandit from the Swordpoint Blades for the 7th overall pick. The Pirates will still have Delila as captain. The Blades gladly moved up in the draft after saying goodbye to their last original player and former captain Dreamy in free agency, with Mams now leading the team. The Warriors need significantly less, but they get a high-upside player in Isabella and also move up in the draft.
The Freedom Cascades were also at the center of a three-way deal, adding Kitty and the 14th overall pick from the Predators in exchange for Stinky and the 21st overall pick. Stinky, last year's captain, will bolster the rebuilding Predators' leadership under Rainmane, while Kitty just needs a bounce-back campaign in a new place. The Cascades then swapped Nikolai to the Capital City Sharpshooters for Sprinkles, marking a new era for the Cascades and a retooling for the Sharpshooters with veteran talent after being led by rookies last season.
In the league's most complicated deal of the window, the Pacific Volcanoes shipped Starlight and the 29th overall pick to the expansion Graycliff Aces for the 2nd and 18th overall picks. This gave the Aces their team captain in their inaugural season. The Volcanoes then packaged the 18th pick and Twinkie I to the Eastside Sharks for the 27th overall pick, marking a slight move up in the fourth round. It represented an aggressive move for the Volcanoes as they look to retool under Ms. Kitty's leadership, while the Sharks also moved up in the draft and acquired an experienced player after three years of a young core that took a step forward last season.
The final trade was another three-way swap, with the Phoenix Firebirds picking up Neopolitan from the Pearl Surfers for the 10th overall pick and Twinkie III from the Whitewater Shores for the 17th overall pick. The Surfers and Shores both address their need for early draft choices Thursday, with the Surfers in a more significant rebuild while the Shores look to shuffle up their mix. With the trades, Neopolitan was named Firebirds captain while Watermelon was promoted from co-captain to full captain of the Surfers. With that, we send it to draft day, where...
The Firebirds have the first overall selection to begin filling out their roster. They used the pick to select the former Queens Flames veteran Pauline, who struggled on a good team last season. Pauline is a skill player with a fiery edge, but she should fit nicely with the core the Firebirds established via trade.
The Pacific Volcanoes hold the second overall pick via their trade with the Graycliff Aces. With the pick, they selected Rosemary, formerly of the Commerce Tradewinds. The Volcanoes are not lacking in aggressive players, so adding a more heady player who carved out a strong career in Commerce brings balance to their roster.
The Atlantic Pirates open the second round with a compensatory selection after Steven's second retirement from the league. The third overall pick was used on former Web City Spiders journeyman Waluigi, who will join his fourth team in six years. Waluigi has struggled to unlock his full potential, but the Pirates seem to be a landing spot for players in need of a refresh, an identity that could bond the team together in the upcoming season.
The Phoenix Firebirds continue to build their roster with the fourth overall pick, taking Gabby, a sophomore who played with the Southern Monarchs last season. Gabby never quite clicked right with a Monarchs team caught between contending and rebuilding last year, but she'll get a fresh start with the expansion team and shouldn't face too much pressure.
The Graycliff Aces begin their roster building with the fifth overall pick, adding former Terrace City Knights veteran Jennifer. This is considered a big win for the Aces, as Jennifer was a solid deputy to captain Kiwi in Terrace City and should be able to play in a similar role with Starlight at the head of the Aces.
The third round begins with the Midland Predators finally cashing in on their draft lottery position with the sixth overall pick. The Predators selected Stephanie, formerly of the Swordpoint Blades. Stephanie is a vocal player on a leadership track who previously held the captain role for her last season with the Southridge Defenders. Stephanie should more or less directly replace outgoing captain Shawn in terms of talent and style.
The Swordpoint Blades are next up with the seventh overall pick they acquired from the Atlantic Pirates. The Blades went fearlessly for third-year veteran Megan, who broke into the league with the Oceanside Waves. Megan will provide a jolt of energy to the Blades, offsetting the conservative styles of Mams and Stealth in the leadership positions.
The Pearl Surfers will use the first of their three picks this round at eighth overall, retaining Bright. The Surfers threw Bright back into the draft pool this year, but they'll go with a familiar quantity for now. Bright provides a hard-hitting playing style, though he's never won games at a clip higher than .529 in his career.
The North Modernistic Nighthawks' rebuild begins with the ninth overall pick, and they used it on a well-traveled journeyman in Wild Thing. This will be Wild Thing's seventh team in the 10 years of UPCL play, though he was one of the players who didn't play in 2017. He's broken even in just two campaigns, failing to do so with the Web City Spiders last year on a .405 winning percentage.
The Pearl Surfers are back for the 10th overall pick, and they selected Shawn, the former Midland Predators captain. With Watermelon at the helm, it appears the Surfers are set to load up on veteran talent for a quick return to the postseason they missed last year.
The Graycliff Aces are on the clock at 11th overall. They selected the first rookie of the year, taking Phoebe. The rookie scouting report describes Phoebe as a subtle and strategic player with a slight edge to her style. She's a strong choice for the Aces, who will get a player with a strong voice and high potential as well as a good community representative to add to a veteran core.
The Swordpoint Blades return for the 12th overall pick, selecting former Atlantic Pirates veteran Buddy. The third-year professional's selection by the Blades essentially makes him the replacement for Bandit, who was traded to the Pirates in a separate deal before the draft. Buddy is a quiet player, one who can fit in on any roster with a noticeable tough edge and a businesslike style.
The Pearl Surfers fill out their roster with the 13th overall pick, selecting Dusky. This fits with their identified draft strategy, as all five players on their Tournament XII roster are from the original 2010 edition of the competition. Dusky spent the last two years with the Pirates with mixed results, so it's unclear what she can bring to a team that always has high expectations.
The Freedom Cascades begin the fourth round with the 14th overall pick, acquired from the Midland Predators. They used the pick on a veteran, adding former Lighton Prestige member Shiny. While not the flashiest pick out there, no pun intended, Shiny provides smart play. She was a big factor at the Ten-Year Anniversary Tournament last fall, winning two events.
The Central Warriors complete their roster at 15th overall, a pick acquired from the Atlantic Pirates alongside Isabella. With the pick, the Warriors added former Eastside Sharks veteran Rudolph. Now in his fifth year after a disappoint Tournament XI with the Sharks, Rudolph has finished north of .500 once. He'll provide a little toughness, but he's clearly the fifth-most talented player on the roster.
The North Modernistic Nighthawks are on the clock at 16th overall. They again go with a fixer-upper, selecting Mr. Snowman, who was the first pick of the Apex Wonders in last year's draft. Mr. Snowman will join his sixth UPCL team and his third in the last three seasons. While he is a veteran with experience as a captain in his days with the Meteors, he has rarely been a difference maker.
The Whitewater Shores hold the 17th overall pick, acquired from the Phoenix Firebirds. The Shores were hoping for a veteran, and they ended up going with a rookie in Ivy. The Youth Movement club player is incredibly tough and relentless, a bit like captain Shaggy with perhaps more raw power in her play. It's an interesting choice for a team looking to mix things up.
Never ones to miss out on star power, the Eastside Sharks used the 18th pick they acquired from the Graycliff Aces via the Pacific Volcanoes to select former North Modernistic Nighthawks star Gal. A well-protected star in her time with the Nighthawks, Gal will take on a more visible role with the Sharks, joining a leadership group featuring Taylor M. as captain. They'll hope she can continue to play well every other year as she has in her career.
The Swordpoint Blades complete their roster with the 19th overall pick, their natural fourth-round selection. They added a rookie, Anton, to the fold. Anton has shown promise and chemistry with new teammate Megan historically, but he projects to be an enigmatic player capable of big offense or bigger disappointment. The Blades remain a bit rudderless from a distance, with an unestablished captain and unproven youth down the lineup.
The second-year Zenith Skywatchers are on the clock at 20th overall. They selected a veteran in former Royal Crown Brownie, who will be on her seventh UPCL team. Brownie spent the last three years with the Crowns, including a one-year overlap with her new Skywatchers teammate Nightfur. That familiarity should be a good thing for a team that prides itself on aggressive play, something Brown can bring in spurts.
The Midland Predators have the 21st overall pick, via the Freedom Cascades. The Predators completed their roster with a big pickup in longtime Archtown Arrows veteran Sleepy B. The Arrows, always reluctant to part with players, let Sleepy B. get away just in time for the Predators to piece together a roster with three players with captain experience and two more that could fill the role in a pinch. That's a good draft for the Predators and a good landing spot for Sleepy B., who was solid in her nine-year tenure with the Arrows.
The Southridge Defenders welcomed Caitlin back into the fold after two years and will now begin rebuilding again with the 22nd overall pick. Long considered a productive academy program, the Defenders get a player with Rookie of the Year credentials in former Modernistic Union veteran Sydney C. There's concern she'll clash with Caitlin in style, but Wario runs the show here and the team is not short on talent with one pick left to add.
The Commerce Tradewinds are up at 23rd overall, and they'll bring in a rookie in Carly P. of the Songstresses. This looks like a selection straight from the captain Taylor S., as the Tradewinds look to build up some star power and talent throughout the lineup. Carly P. projects as a solid mid-range player, but she may take some time to adjust to UPCL competition, although her smooth-shooting talent should help.
The Royal Crowns bring us to the 24th overall pick, where they selected Ingrid, a sophomore who played last year with the rival Southridge Defenders. Ingrid, much like Carly P., is a smooth shooter, but she struggled last season on a team in transition. The Crowns' hierarchy is much more established with Kayla as captain and Jake a strong veteran, so Ingrid should be a direct replacement for Kacey, who was cut after a poor rookie season.
The Boston Swifts dip their toes in the draft more than usual with the first of their two picks at 25th overall. They'll pluck the aforementioned former Royal Crown, Kacey, as the South Division continues to vulture off each other. Kacey didn't click with the Crowns, but the Swifts' more decorated history and strong leadership with Sweetheart and Tigerette make this a good landing spot for the fiery sophomore. Kacey appears to be a younger replacement for Sydney S. on the Swifts' roster.
The Modernistic Union fell a little short last year and will now look to retool the bottom of their roster with the 26th overall pick. The Union selected a veteran no stranger to the North Division in Bear, who played with the Commerce Tradewinds last season. He's most famous for his time with the Whitewater Shores, where he was once captain. Despite the fearsome reputation, Bear has finished north of .500 just once in his 10 Tournament seasons, so this is a bit of a gamble for the Union.
The middle pick of the UPCL Draft, 27th overall, belongs to the Pacific Volcanoes thanks to their trade with the Eastside Sharks. The Volcanoes took former North Modernistic Nighthawks veteran Gizmo with the selection. Well removed from his Central Warriors heyday, Gizmo didn't click at all with the Nighthawks in the last two seasons, so the Volcanoes will hope they can rejuvenate his career like Smokey did in Tournament XI.
The Atlantic Pirates finish their rebuild with the 28th overall pick, selecting former Southridge Defenders captain Bianca. The Pirates are familiar with Bianca's sister Isabella, who was traded to the Warriors to acquire this pick in a fitting small-world situation. Bianca is a very different player: methodical to a fault and highly thoughtful in her approach. She'll get tough at times, but she's level headed and should offset the more impulsive players on the roster.
The Graycliff Aces will use the pick they acquired from the Pacific Volcanoes at 29th overall. The pick turned into an expansion darling, Paps, who spent last year with the Zenith Skywatchers. There's little reason for the Aces to get too excited about Paps, a journeyman now on his sixth team in seven years. He's a veteran presence, but a puzzling choice for a team that had gone with higher-upside picks so far.
Ending the fourth round, the Web City Spiders used the 30th overall pick to sign Reality rookie Kinley. Little is known about Kinley, but she's a young option for a team that has often been hesitant to go with rookies. Kinley should inject some energy into a somewhat sleepy team that rarely brings much excitement with hard-working players.
The fifth round begins with the North Modernistic Nighthawks using the 31st pick to add Youth Movement rookie Cinder to the lineup. That's a change of course from the Nighthawks, and also one that doesn't fit their hard-nosed identity. Cinder is a thoughtful player with strong energy, though she will need to make a jump in skill as the Nighthawks have put together a very risky roster.
The run on rookies continued with the Phoenix Firebirds going young by selecting Guild of Acting rookie Emma with the 32nd overall pick. Emma is a mindful player, not quite heady as some but very situationally aware. It's a little strange the Firebirds went with more name recognition and youth after picking up a pair of Enterprise players in trade, but we'll see how the pieces fit in the season.
The Graycliff Aces finish off their roster construction at 33rd overall, selecting Songstresses rookie Adele. Another highly intellectual player, Adele brings a certain depth of style as well. She'll have fun and be good with the rest of the team, and she could be potentially very dangerous in combination with Phoebe. The Aces have struck a balance on veteran talent and youth for their first season.
The Archtown Arrows make a rare retooling to replace Sleepy B. at 34th overall. The pick was spent on former Boston Swifts veteran Sydney S., who struggled in Tournament XI after a long run of success with the Harrison Specters. Sydney S. should be a good fit for the Arrows, who just need a solid veteran to fill the roster spot. She brings a little style to the roster, but a team built on equality can't have anyone stand out too much.
The Zenith Skywatchers own the 35th pick as they look to finish retooling their roster with some toughness. They got exactly what they wanted in former North Modernistic Nighthawks veteran Lionel, who should have an instant connection with Brute Force club-mate Nightfur. It's up to Lionel to play up to his potential, but the Skywatchers won't make anything easy in 2022.
The Southridge Defenders hold the 36th overall pick, and it appears they'll go with a veteran again by selecting former Pronger Tridents star Avril. This will be Avril's fourth team in five seasons, so she's far from a proven option, but the Defenders don't seem to have any reservations with their roster construction. Avril has some talent, though there's a question of stamina in longer events, a problem throughout the roster.
The Commerce Tradewinds are up next with the 37th overall pick. They went with star power again, selecting sophomore Blake, who played with the Freedom Cascades last year. Blake gets along great with captain Taylor S., so there will be no problems with the personnel on this team in Tournament XII. The key will be keeping Luigi and Solaris feeling connected, as the core appears to have shifted with the Tradewinds aiming younger under their second-year captain.
The Apex Wonders make their lone change to the roster with the 38th overall pick, grabbing former Central Warriors veteran Klaus to replace Mr. Snowman. On the surface, this is an upgrade, and also the second time Klaus has replaced Mr. Snowman on a team. Klaus is three years removed from his best season, but he's a steady veteran with a good shot who won't rock the boat.
The Royal Crowns complete their roster with the 39th overall pick, selecting an understated veteran in former Viewpoint Sound Meteor Dani. Chemistry-wise, Dani is a good fit with the captain Kayla, and this is a team that whose members will know their roles. Dani's been a good player prior to last year's forgettable performance; she's a bounce-back candidate that could give the Crowns a boost after they finished short of the playoffs in Tournament XI.
The Golden Pilots make an appearance on draft day for the first time in awhile, selecting former Eastside Sharks veteran Toki. That's a pure rivalry move for the Pilots, who will hope the third-year veteran Toki can make his former team regret letting him go. With the mentorship of club-mate Dusty, who made the move from the Sharks to the Pilots years ago, Toki is poised for a breakout season in a heated South Division.
The Oceanside Waves took no time to make their pick, selecting former Midland Predators veteran Chicky Phil with the 41st overall pick. Some thought it would be Gradley, but Chicky Phil makes sense as a no-nonsense veteran for a Waves team that needed a little more maturity than what Megan gave them in two seasons. Chicky Phil can play well at times, though he's struggled to keep up as the league has expanded, so it's unclear if he'll push the Waves into the playoffs.
The Southern Monarchs want to get more experienced with the 42nd overall pick. They'll do that marginally, adding former Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Vladimir. A hard-working ball-maker, Vladimir projects for league-average at best, though he boasts more experience than Gabby, who was cut to make room for this pick. Vladimir will come in and serve his shift for a team near contention.
The Boston Swifts are on the clock with the 43rd pick, and it's one that comes with plenty of intrigue. Instead of going back to Gradley, the Swifts make another power move to acquire former Swordpoint Blades captain Dreamy, who joins just her second team in her career. The concept of Dreamy has often better than the results, but she's a solid mid-level player that the Swifts can work with, especially if fellow free agent Kacey takes a step forward as a sophomore.
The Modernistic Union finish their roster with the 44th overall pick, selecting former Southridge Defenders veteran Stripes. This is a pure speculative pick for the Union; Stripes is on her sixth team in her 12-year career, and she's topped .500 just once. Her previous experience in the North Division was with the Terrace City Knights, where she had a two-year stint, but Modernistic is a different beast with the big-market pressure she couldn't handle in Southridge. She's gritty as anyone though, which gives the Union something they've been missing since Juno went to Stonebridge years ago.
The Maplewood Lumberjacks are ready to replace Vladimir with the 45th overall pick. Tasked with that job is a rookie, Tenille, a member of the Songstresses club. Tenille will likely play similar to Stonebridge Wolves sophomore Lindsay, who was solid but not award-competitive last season. Tenille should fit fine with the Lumberjacks, who are no strangers with going young in recent years. She is the last rookie off the board in a nine-member freshman class.
The Victoria Spurs are up at 46th overall, and they used the pick to select former Golden Pilots veteran Max. This will be Max's fifth career team, and he's a standard ideal of an average player. He had one good year out of three with the Pilots, and while he's probably a slight downgrade from Sage, he'll provide enough smart play to keep the Spurs championship competitive.
The Terrace City Knights are next up to make a small tweak to their roster after losing Jennifer to the Graycliff Aces. The Knights will go bold at 47th overall, selecting former Harrison Specter Lexi. The veteran lightning rod has been out of the league for two years, but she was strong in the previous three seasons with the Specters. Lexi won't bring much popularity; she's an out-and-out villain unlike her sister Caitlin. Lexi does have the talent to make an impact, and she'll have plenty to prove after her absence.
As the draft winds down, the Pronger Tridents are set to select 48th overall. They took a huge gamble despite big names on the board, grabbing former Zenith Skywatcher Omari with the selection. It's fair to say the Tridents have earned the benefit of the doubt with their performance in recent years, but Omari has struggled in his first two seasons, and banking on a breakout is a lot to ask. There won't be pressure on player or team to find success in this situation.
The Viewpoint Sound Meteors have the 49th overall pick, and they won't need to do much to replace Dani's abysmal production from last year. That said, they didn't go for a ton of upside in selecting former Pearl Surfers veteran Wings to keep him in the North Division. Wings hasn't been over .500 since 2015, a stretch that included two years with the Warriors and his second stint with the Surfers. Wings is a tough guy, but that wasn't an area the Meteors were short on with Princess, Josie, and Cobalt in the fold. They'll be tough to play against regardless of Wings' performance.
The Lighton Prestige struck for maximum value with the 50th overall pick, signing former Boston Swifts star Gradley after he dropped way too far in the draft. Acorn remains an elite captain, and Gradley has generational connections to teammates Citrus and Spirit in what's quickly becoming a loosely family-based team. Gradley flips side in the Cola Wars Derby, and intensifies the rivalry with the Golden Pilots. He went above .500 in five of eight seasons with the Swifts.
The Everton Eagles are the last team with a chance to reunite with a player from last season at the 51st overall pick. They instead opted to replace Cleo with former Modernistic Union veteran Maggie, giving the Eagles a name presence they haven't had. Maggie never really felt comfortable under the spotlight with the Union, so the Eagles will likely shelter her as much as possible as she gets drafted for the first time.
The final true selection of the draft belongs the Queens Flames at 52nd overall. They took former Everton Eagles veteran Cleo to replace the departed Pauline. Cleo is a qualifying machine who helped the Eagles draw a lot of events, including this draft, where she was applauded upon departure. Cleo didn't feel the same way after the Eagles left her on the wire, so she'll bring a chip on her shoulder to the Flames' fierce veteran core.
The Web City Spiders ended up with former Victoria Spurs veteran Sage with the 53rd overall pick. Sage was a harsh cut for the Spurs after just one bad year out of four. The Spiders haven't had a player at her talent level since Shadow left in 2019, so this should help the Spiders maintain their lofty position from Tournament XI.
With that, we'll pack it in for a little bit. We're anticipating a start to the Heart of the Game Speed Pool Challenge either Sunday or Monday, which is expected to last roughly six weeks. This could make it a slower start to qualifying season for Tournament XII. The UPCL is also considering a rule change to Rotation to improve pace of play in one of the slowest events, so more will be known soon. For now, it's time to manage some administrative duties.
