St. Louis Slam goes Back 2 Back for 2025

(CANTON, OH) For the second straight season, the St. Louis SLAM have claimed the ultimate prize within the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA).

They also had to implement similar strategies to record back-to-back Pro Division championships.

Primarily on Saturday at Tom Benson Field within the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was a 20-point rally and a shutdown defense.

Photo Credit: Gerald Affeldt

Trailing 14-6 at intermission, the SLAM upended the D.C. Divas, 26-14, to finish undefeated (9-0)and extended their WFA win streak to 18 games.

St. Louis running back Jada Humphrey, who rushed for over 130 yards and scored a touchdown, was named the game’s “Most Valuable Player” afterwards.

In the first-time meeting between the pair of legacy franchises, the SLAM earned their sixth national title, but the process was anything but easy and carried a familiar narrative that harkened back to the 2024 finale held on the same turf.

In an epic battle against then-reigning, five-time champ Boston, St. Louis trailed early and scored 20 straight in the first half to win, 30-27.

What was different at Saturday’s come-from-behind triumph against the Divas (6-3) is that the SLAM’s surge of points was recorded in the second half.

Regardless of method, a repeat hoist of hardware by the black and orange attack ended the afternoon.

With opening possessions at their own 30-yard line, the Divas started the game with a nice, clock-chewing drive that reached the red zone but unfortunately could not capitalize.

Facing a fourth down situation at the SLAM four-yard line, D.C. running back Siena Britt attempted a bust through the plane but was stopped by St. Louis powerhouse Brooklynn Devitt two yards shy at the 8:06 mark.

The SLAM’s opening possession had similar traction and inevitably heartbreak. Starting at their own two-yard line, St. Louis established a good ground attack propelled by linemates Caitlin Erickson, Marion Ball, Pamela Green, Tamikka Brents and Antonnia Washington.

Utilizing Humphrey’s jet-like speed, the SLAM pushed the ball to midfield but with 3:43 left in the quarter, a fumble was claimed by Divas’ linebacker Ricki Revis, who barreled the turnover to the St. Louis 39 yard-line.

Following a scoreless first frame, D.C. cobbled the game’s opening touchdown with nine-play, 39-yard sequence punctuated by Whitney Simms’four-yard churn with 13:53 left in the half. Place kicker Emily Smith added a perfect PAT afterwards that resulted in the Divas’ 7-0 advantage.

St. Louis’ second possession yielded minimal results and on a fourth-down punt attempt, Kerri McMahan’s boot was blocked by Divas’ linebacker Amiya King and possession by the opposition was claimed at the SLAM’s 35-yard line with twelve minutes left in the frame.

D.C. attempted to ride momentum but failed as they quickly handed possession four snaps later and were stopped by a solo tackle by St. Louis defender Jennifer Perkins on fourth down with 9:38 left.

Both teams continued their offensive struggles as the half continued but the SLAM finally cracked their goose egg with under three minutes remaining in the half. Quarterback Jaime Gaalconnected with McMahan for a 36-yard touchdown pass at the 2:06 mark that shored the Divas’ lead, 7-6.

Place kicker Kaylee Neutzling’s attempt on the PAT was blocked, and the game remained a solo-point affair.

Unfazed by the SLAM’s first score, the Divas quickly countered one minute later with a five-play, 65-yard drive that was finished by quarterback Amanda Congialdi’s 31-yard touchdown pass to Britt with 1:06 left. Smith added another successful kick afterwards that widened D.C.’s lead to 14-6.

St. Louis tried to tighten the score before halftime but an attempted pass by Gaal was snared by Divas’ safety Haley Van Voorhis with :16 left.

D.C. maintained an eight-point lead at intermission – which was extended to over two hours in length due to a weather delay.

When play resumed, the SLAM held the second half’s opening possession at their own 35 and once again were providing moving the ball downfield nicely. However, another St. Louis turnover – a fumbled scooped by Divas defenderSpring Gamble – handed possession back to the leaders five minutes deep.

D.C. – who were aiming to claim their fourth WFA title this weekend – quickly turned the ball over themselves as Congialdi’s attempted pass was swiped by Neutzling and returned to midfield with 8:30 left in the third quarter.

Much like Mother Nature’s halftime drop-in, the SLAM began to present their own version of a surging storm.

Starting at the 50, St. Louis’ 10-play scoring drive – capped by McMahan’s two-yard sprint to the left pylon with 2:17 left – sliced the deficit to 14-12. On the PAT attempt, Neutzling’s kick went wide left, and the Divas’ lead remained at a pair of points.

The SLAM’s newly found offensive thunder was followed by defensive lightning one minute later – a pick six.

Congialdi’s attempted midfield pass was intercepted by SLAM safety Keyonna Smith, who scampered 52 yards to the endzone for a scoreboard flip with 1:10 left in the quarter. McMahan added a successful PAT kick that boosted St. Louis’ edge to 19-14.

In the opening stages of the final quarter, the Divas attempted to regroup but another SLAM defensive shutdown – highlighted by Jasmine Yandell’s second down sack on Vonnetta Gooden – resulted in D.C. punting with 13:20 remaining.

The SLAM was also forced to punt on their next rotation and handed the ball back to the Divas with pretty good field position at the St. Louis 44 yard-line.

Congialdi regained confidence, propelled the Divas downfield and got the ball to the down to the red zone with under ten minutes remaining,

With first and goal from the nine-yard-line, Congialdi connected with wide-open receiver Navia Howell at the three-yard line and it appeared that the Diva would easily waltz into the end zone. But as she reached the goal line, SLAM linebacker Ciara Morgan swiped the ball from Howell’s hands.

The live fumble trickled into the endzone and Neutzling – with a pair of Divas chasing – quickly pounced on the grenade with 9:30 left and preserved the SLAM’s five-point lead.

Thanks to the touchback, St. Louis were awarded placement at their own 20-yard line and quickly produced a six-play, 80-yard hurricane, completed by Humphrey’s 50-yard romp with 6:18 left. The 20-0 SLAM rally was concluded with a successful PAT kick as the score widened to 26-14.

St. Louis’ defense – complimented by Myah LeFlore, Raven Williams, Stephanie Moore, Mary Altepeter, Ariana Smith, Kinnaudy Daniels, Taylor Hay and others – continued their second-half tsunami and held the Divas scoreless for the reminder of the contest.

The championship game was accented by Daniels’ fourth-down sack on Congialdi with one minute remaining.

It took a little bit of everything from everybody for St. Louis to claim the twelve-point championship duke.

Then again, that’s how “The SLAMily” operates.

Unofficially, Humphrey finished with 22 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown. McMahan’s pair of all-purpose scores was paced by four catches for 83 yards and Gaal finished the game with 107 yards off eight completions.

Nestled within the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a display that showcases the annual winner of the WFA Pro finale.

St. Louis will be featured in the display when it is updated shortly but the glass case will now feature a new word.

“Repeat.”

For more on the St. Louis SLAM, visit their official website.