Franchise History

The D.C. Divas are one of the most well-known and successful teams in women’s tackle football. The Divas play in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), which is currently the largest and strongest league in women’s football. The D.C. Divas rank first among all women’s football teams in victories, games played, playoff appearances, and division championships. The Divas have a 139-46 record in 19 seasons and have played in four national championship games, claiming three national titles in 2006, 2015, and 2016.

Birth of a Dynasty (2001-2003)

 

The D.C. Divas were founded in 2000 as one of ten charter franchises in the National Women’s Football Association (NWFA). The team made their full-contact football debut in the spring of 2001. The NWFA gave them their nickname Divas, and the team’s logo was designed by Francis Santaquilani. With the Divas completing their 18th season of play in 2018, they are the third-longest running franchise in women’s football history after the Minnesota Vixen and the New York Sharks.

Composed of women from varied professional and athletic backgrounds, the team was the first of its kind in the national capital region and were coached by Ezra Cooper. The Divas earned their first victory on May 13, 2001, with a win over the Connecticut Crush. They finished their inaugural season with a 3-4 record, the team’s only losing season to date.

Before their second season, the Divas franchise was purchased by Leah Fahringer and Kelly George. The Divas finished the 2002 season with a 6-3 record, the first of six consecutive winning seasons for the team. A chance at the Divas’ first playoff berth came down to their final game of the year, but the Divas fell short of the Baltimore Burn in their season finale, 6-0.

The Divas took another step forward in 2003. They started the season 7-0, with a loss in the regular season finale keeping the team from its first ever undefeated regular season. Despite that, the Divas’ 7-1 record clinched the first of five consecutive playoff berths and division titles. After defeating the Connecticut Crush in their first ever playoff game, the Divas fell to the Philadelphia Phoenix in a hard-fought contest in the conference semifinals.

The Divas were led in 2003 by Donna Wilkinson, who became the first known player in women’s football history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season by totaling 1,267 rushing yards that year. Wilkinson, a member of the original 2001 Divas team, is the only player from that team still on the Divas roster; Wilkinson played her 15th season with the Divas in 2015. The Divas also gained national exposure in 2003 when they were featured in a segment on the CBS Evening News.

The Road to a National Championship (2004-2006)

 

In 2004, the Divas compiled an 8-0 record in the regular season, the first perfect regular season in team history. Their 8-0 record gave the Divas home-field advantage throughout the NWFA Northern Conference playoffs. After defeating the Southwest Michigan Jaguars in the conference semifinals, the Divas lost to the eventual NWFA champions, the Detroit Demolition, in the Northern Conference championship game, 20-14.

The following offseason was an eventful one for the Divas. In November, the Divas played in a charity game against a men’s team assembled by The Sports Junkies, who host a local syndicated sports radio show. Although the Divas lost, 28-6, the contest set a new record for the highest attendance at a women’s tackle football game, as approximately 8,200 fans came to the event.

Also that offseason, the Divas had a second ownership change when Fahringer and George sold the franchise to current owner Paul Hamlin. Hamlin purchased the team in part to support his daughter, Divas’ starting quarterback Allyson Hamlin. Allyson Hamlin has compiled 88 victories as the starting quarterback of the Divas, the most in women’s football history.

The 2005 D.C. Divas season was almost an exact replay of 2004. The Divas again rolled through the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record, but for the second straight year, they were handed their first defeat of the season in the Northern Conference championship game by the eventual NWFA champion Detroit Demolition.

That offseason, the Divas made several changes, as Paul Hamlin put his stamp on the franchise. The team moved from Eastern High School in Washington, DC, to the new Prince George’s Sports Complex in nearby Landover, Maryland. A new uniform design for the Divas was also unveiled. These changes set the stage for the biggest moment in the franchise’s history.

As was the case the past two seasons, the Divas finished 2006 with a perfect 8-0 regular season, winning games in dominant fashion. The Divas’ stifling defense allowed just six points the entire regular season, giving up six points in the team’s season opener before pitching seven consecutive shutouts. The Divas’ offense was just as imposing, rolling to a scoring average of over 47 points per game.

A shutout victory in the team’s playoff opener – their eighth shutout in a row, a women’s football record – put the Divas in the conference championship game for the third straight year. Unlike ’04 and ’05, however, the Divas won the conference championship, defeating the Columbus Comets, 32-7, and advancing to their first ever national championship game. The Divas traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the Oklahoma City Lightning for the 2006 NWFA national championship. The Divas capped an 11-0 season with a 28-7 victory over the Lightning for the team’s first national championship. Running back Rachelle Pecovsky and linebacker Ivy Tillman were named offensive and defensive MVP of the game, respectively, and Pecovsky earned a mention in Sports Illustrated magazine for her performance.

A New League and A Conference Title (2007-2009)

 

After claiming their national championship in the NWFA, the Divas left the league after six seasons to join the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). The Divas jumped to the IWFL in the search for stronger competition, which now included their archrivals, the Detroit Demolition.

The Divas were just as successful in this new league, finishing with an 8-0 regular season record for the fourth straight year and capturing the Mid-Atlantic Division title. That record included a memorable 24-22 victory over the eventual national champion Detroit Demolition, as the Divas avenged two recent playoff losses to Detroit. Combined with the 2006 season, the Divas had compiled a franchise-record 19-game winning streak. But the Divas’ first appearance in the IWFL playoffs ended in disappointment when they suffered an upset loss in the conference semifinals to the defending IWFL champion Atlanta Xplosion.

After a remarkable run of success, 2008 was a disappointing year for the Divas. The Divas saw their 32-game regular season winning streak snapped, as they suffered four losses in 2008. Each of their losses were by six points or less and came down to the final two minutes of the game. The Divas finished the year with a 4-4 record, their worst since 2001. Because of that record, the Divas failed to win their division and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Following the season, legendary coach Ezra Cooper stepped down after eight outstanding seasons guiding the franchise.

Rebounding from the 2008 campaign, the Divas returned to their winning ways in 2009. The Divas compiled a perfect 8-0 regular season record for the fifth time and claimed the Mid-Atlantic division title. After a tough victory over the Pittsburgh Passion, the Divas advanced to the Eastern Conference championship game, where they traveled to face the undefeated Boston Militia. In a thrilling game, the Divas defeated the Militia, 27-21, giving the franchise their second conference championship.

On July 25, 2009, the Divas went to Round Rock, Texas, a suburb of Austin, to play the Kansas City Tribe for the 2009 IWFL national championship. The Divas led the Tribe, 10-7, in the third quarter but eventually fell to Kansas City in a penalty-plagued contest. The Kansas City Tribe upset the Divas, 21-18, handing the Divas their first loss of the year and taking home the national championship in the process. That offseason, former Divas wide receiver Natalie Randolph made national headlines as one of the first women to ever lead a high school football team when she was hired as the head football coach at Coolidge High School in Washington, DC.

Setting Records and Battling Boston (2010-2014)

 

In 2010, the Divas captured their seventh division title in eight years. They earned a measure of revenge for their 2007 playoff loss to the Atlanta Xplosion by defeating Atlanta, 35-7, and advancing to the Eastern Conference championship for the second straight season. Their bid to make a second straight national title game fell short, however, when they were shut out for the first time in eight years by the eventual national champions, the Boston Militia. The Divas earned even more national exposure that season when they were featured on CNN

as part of a team profile.

After the 2010 season, the Divas – along with many of their rivals – moved from the IWFL to the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), beginning in 2011. This simultaneous move by ten of the top franchises in women’s football solidified the WFA as the strongest league in women’s football, and the Divas moved with them to ensure their spot among the best competition the sport has to offer.

In their first year in the new league, the Divas didn’t slow down. In their first game as a member of the WFA, the Divas handed the Boston Militia a 35-20 setback, their only regular season defeat in a six-year span. The Divas easily won the Northeast Division with a 7-1 record, but for the second year in a row, the Boston Militia ended the Divas’ season by knocking them out of the playoffs; Boston went on to win their second straight national title with an 11-1 record. After the season, the Divas made a change, hiring Alison Fischer as their new head coach. Fischer played ten seasons as a defensive back for the Divas and was a member of the Divas’ inaugural team in 2001. By taking the reins of the Divas, Fischer became one of the few female head coaches in women’s football.

For the 2012 season, the Divas secured their ninth division title and made their ninth appearance in the postseason. However, after defeating the Pittsburgh Passion in their playoff opener, the Divas encountered the two-time defending national champion Boston Militia. The Militia eliminated the Divas from the postseason for the third consecutive year in a game marred by a bench-clearing brawl that led to substantial roster turnover for the Divas the following offseason.

A young D.C. Divas squad took the field for the 2013 season, and once again, the Divas established themselves as one of the top teams in the sport. The Divas participated in the highest-scoring game in women’s football history, lighting up the scoreboard in an 81-54 loss in Boston. The Divas claimed their tenth division championship in 2013, which tied the record for the most division championships in the history of women’s football. Unfortunately for the Divas, they again came up short in the playoffs against the Boston Militia for the fourth year in a row.

In 2014, the Divas claimed yet another division championship. They also qualified for the playoffs for the 11th time, setting a record for the most playoff appearances by a single team in women’s football history. Yet for the fifth straight season, the Divas once again could not overcome their rivals from Boston in the playoffs; the Divas were eliminated from the postseason after losing to the Boston Militia in the highest-scoring playoff game in women’s football history, 72-56. Boston went on to claim their third national championship in five years, and for the Divas, it marked the sixth time in franchise history that they were bounced from the playoffs by the eventual national champions.

Back-To-Back National Championships (2015-2016)

 

The D.C. Divas celebrated their historic 15th anniversary with a season for the ages. The Divas went 8-0 in the regular season, the sixth undefeated regular season in franchise history and the Divas’ first since 2010. Included in those eight wins was a two-game sweep of their rivals from Boston, and the Divas became the first team to win in Boston in six years with a 32-27 road victory on May 2.

The Divas earned home field advantage throughout the WFA playoffs, and the Divas won their first conference title since 2009 with a hard-fought 43-27 victory over the Chicago Force. The Divas thus earned the right to play for the 2015 WFA national championship in Los Angeles against the Dallas Elite. After seizing an early lead, the Divas held off Dallas for a 30-26 victory and captured their second national championship in franchise history, finishing with a perfect 12-0 record on the year. 

As defending national champions in 2016, the D.C. Divas opened their year with a loss to the Dallas Elite, 40-19, in a rematch of the previous year’s national title game. But the Divas quickly rebounded, finishing with a 7-1 regular season record and clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Divas then defeated their archrivals, the Boston Renegades, by a 47-21 score to win the Eastern Conference championship and advance their fourth national title game in franchise history.

In the 2016 WFA national championship game, the Divas faced the undefeated Dallas Elite for the second straight year. The Divas were underdogs against a Dallas team that had handed them their only loss of the season, and the Divas fell behind by two scores early in the game. But the Divas rallied after a slow start, and they scored the game-winning touchdown with under three and a half minutes remaining to defeat the Dallas Elite in thrilling fashion, 28-26. The D.C. Divas became the first team in WFA history to back-to-back national championships, and the victory over Dallas allowed the Divas to surpass the New York Sharks for the most all-time wins in the history of women’s football.

(2017)

After consecutive national championships, the D.C. Divas saw the retirements of several key players in 2017, including franchise quarterback Allyson Hamlin and running back Kenyetta Grigsby, the WFA’s all-time leading rusher. A rebuilding Divas squad faced one of the toughest schedules in team history, but the 2017 D.C. Divas again established themselves as one of the top teams in women’s football. The Divas defeated six of the eight different opponents they faced on the season and secured the first overtime win in team history in thrilling fashion, blocking an extra point attempt to defeat the Pittsburgh Passion, 35-34.

The D.C. Divas have compiled a 139-46 record overall over 19 seasons. Their 139 victories currently make them the winningest team in the history of women’s football, despite the fact that the Divas continue to seek out and play the strongest and most powerful opponents in the sport. Despite their success, the D.C. Divas remain hungry for greatness, looking to innovate and set a standard for other women’s football teams to follow.

(2018)
The Divas made another solid run for a 4th title by advancing to the 10th conference championship game in team history. Archrival and eventual champion the Boston Renegades escaped with a 41-34 win at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex. That game was featured in the film “Born to Play” which would later air on ESPN and many other outlets. The regular season featured a 42-24 win over the Boston Renegades and an overall 5-2 record.

At the end of the season Mr. Paul Hamlin who had owned the team since the Fall of 2004 decided to step down and sell the team.GM Rich Daniel agreed to take over the operation and ownership of the team and the deal was completed in March 2019.

(2019)
The Divas become the first team to play their regular season games indoors at The St. James a 450,000 square foot state-of-the-art complex that includes hockey rinks, a water park, a spa, a restaurant, and many other amenities including the fieldhouse that hosted our home games. The excitement and atmosphere created were unlike any other venue in the history of our sport. The team set many offensive team and individual records. The team averaged a franchise-best 46 points a game with 3,051 yards, besting the old record by over 1,000 yards. QB Amanda Congialdi set season records with 2,944 total yards, 480 yards in a single game,36 touchdowns, and tied the single-game record with 7 touchdown passes vs. Columbus. WR Kentrina Wilson retired as the team’s all-time leading receiver.

On the defensive side, LB Whitney Simms tied a franchise record (Vicki Lucas 2005) with five fumble recoveries in a single season. Her 11 career fumble recoveries tie her with Lucas and Trigger McNair for the all-time lead. The Divas off-season saw a change in the Head Coaching position as Greg Gaskins stepped away to prepare for the arrival of his first child. Gaskins was the offensive line coach in the championship season of 2015 and 2016 and became the head coach in 2017. The WFA began a five-year agreement with the NFL Hall of Fame to host our National Championship games which the Divas were instrumental in securing.

(2020)
Barry Thompson became the 6th coach in Divas history. Thompson and the team began the off-season conditioning and training programs which ended up being cut short when the pandemic began to spread in March of 2020. Towards the end of the year the team participated in community activities including distribution of hand sanitizer, masks and other related items.

(2021)
The season returned with only four regular games that featured limited practice and contact time. Games with crowds were still a challenge as was securing game and practice facilities. The team saw major injuries and the loss of our Head Coach who stepped away during the season. OL coach Allysea Marfull took over the role and finished the campaign in a very challenging season for all of the sports world. The team continued to form community partnerships with Toys for Tots, The Capital Area Food Bank, D.C. Central Kitchen, and many other organizations to increase our capacity to give back.

(2022)
The WFA season returned to 6 games and many of the challenges faced in 2021 remained in many ways. The Divas persevered and grew throughout the field. The team continued to build on their virtual readings to classes and kids from 2021 and created our own children’s book to inspire the next generation. Working in conjunction with Leveling the Playing Field the Washington Coalition of Women’s Sports was formed along with the Washington Spirit, Washington Mystics, and the D.C. Shadow to collaborate more closely. The first effort raised tens of thousands of sports bras for young athletes in need. The Steamfitters 602 became the first uniform sponsor in team history signing a three-year agreement to support the team and advocate for more women to join the trades.

(2023)
The Divas continued their 5th season of quality game broadcasts hosted by Scott Jackson and Super Bowl Champion Doc Walker. The games were featured nationally as games of the week on the Women’s Sports Network. The Divas finished the season strong winning three of their last four games closing out the season with a 53-0 victory.The Divas featured 11 All-Americans and coached the East squad to a win at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

(2024)
A thrilling season saw another playoff run by the Divas which featured both the WFA Offensive MVP Amanda Congialdi and Defensive MVP Essi Saastamoinen. A first for the team and league. Three players from Finland and one from Austria were part of the 2024 team as the Divas continued their international exchange program which began in 2009. The two longest-operating franchises in the country finally met for the first time when the Minnesota Vixen came to the Nation’s Capital and left with a 42-34 victory. NFL legend Doug Williams was in attendance as the Honorary Captain.

The season ended in the playoffs with a last-second 27-20 loss to the five-time defending champion Boston Renegades and the team finished as the #6 ranked team in the country. The Divas had 10 All-Americans selected and once again the East side led by HC Allysea Marfull and OC Ron Primm continued their dominance in the classic. The WFA partnerships continued to grow with the NFL Alumni Association opening their membership to retired players recognizing them as Legends of the Game. Stay tuned for our Silver Anniversary season in 2025.