WNXL Midwest Open 2025 — Redemption, Victory, and MVP
The WNXL Midwest Open 2025 brought the fiercest teams in women’s paintball to the field. With energy, strategy, and heart, The Heroines stormed the podium once again. As the second WNXL event of the year, two weeks after CFOA, it was part of the reason why I went early to North Carolina to train. When the layout dropped on Wednesday, we already knew it would be wild. Unlike most events, this layout wasn’t mirrored, which forced us to rethink everything. That same day, Jenn and I hit the field, walked bounce shots, and broke things down together. Most of the girls flew in later that day, and to top it off, we got a first look at the new jerseys, they were something special.
Over the weekend, we practiced against Underground and Razorbacks. Every time we practice in North Carolina, it feels like we leave sharper and more connected. Thanks to the high level of competition and constant support, it was a tough, humid weekend, but totally worth it! I also made sure to bring my couple packs of Oreos, which definitely helped keep the energy (and the mood) up.
By Wednesday before the event, we were on the road to Ohio. Eight hours in the car turned into naps, playlists, and even a quick stop at Grandma’s house. Once we arrived, we settled into a rental about 30 minutes from the field. That night ended with great Mexican food and ice cream, a pretty solid way to start the trip.
Thursday
Thursday is usually the official practice day at events, but this time, the Ohio heat and humidity made us rethink our approach. We decided to skip running points and focused instead on walking the field, getting our guns checked, and conserving energy for the weekend. I also got some amazing gifts that day, Oswald gave me a Metal Gear Solid-themed rubber duck, and one of my homies came through with a full duck care package: multiple rubber ducks, a duck hat, a duck cup, and even two San Francisco 49ers jerseys. top tier.
Friday — Prelims Begin
Our first match was against NEVERMORES. We came out strong and jumped to a 4-0 lead before they adjusted and put one on the board. In that point, Brittany Reid and I both made it to the 50 snake and came around at the same time, she made a great move, shot me first, and got a point up for Nevermores. Final score: 4-1. I knew there were things I had to clean up for the next one.
Second match was against SAN FRANCISCO SIRENS. We cleaned up a lot of the little mistakes and executed well. Final score: 5-0. That night, we went home, watched film, and started prepping for Saturday’s matches with some ideas for new gameplans.
Saturday - Team Energy and Preparation
First game was against SURICATOS. We had scouted them and called the perfect setup off the break. I remember looking over at Ant after that point, we had read them perfectly. They tied it up after that to make it 1-1, but even though they came prepared and played hard, we adjusted quickly and took control. Final score: 6-1.
Final prelim match was against HIGH ROLLERS, a team with very strong attackers. We opened with a clean point, but then the next one dragged on for over five minutes, and we lost it. It became a back and forth game. At one point it was 2-2 with only 1:38 on the clock. We knew we had to make something happen. We went full attack and scored a point in 23 seconds. On the last one, we shot three off the break and I saw the opening I made the move, closed the field, and touched the buzzer. Final score: 4-2. That win secured us 1st seed going into playoffs.
We went back to the house Saturday night and spent the evening reviewing film on Dallas Vibe, our semifinal opponent. Everyone was locked in
Sunday - Semifinals vs Dallas Vibe
The energy was good. Me and Nana looked at each other before the match and immediately thought about what happened in AC last year. We started strong with a great point. On the second, Vibe got a gross major for a spin, which meant they had to go in with only three players, quick point for us. In the third, I went straight to the snake off break and caught an easy kill. My teammates cleaned it up, and I closed the point with a shot on the center brick and then we all eliminated the snake player together.
Fourth point was tough. We got a minor, and it became a 3v5. Tata did an incredible job holding things down and brought it back to a 2v1. I was out of pods, just locking the lane, and Tata finished it again. Fifth point, great shooting off break, clean close, and that was it. 5-0 win in semis. A statement.
But the job wasn’t finished. Next up: the Finals vs Femmes Fatale. If you remember Tampa, this was the rematch. We lost to them there, and this was our shot at redemption.
Match Recap: The Heroines vs Femmes Fatale
The first point was long, and I made a mistake closing it. Second point was much cleaner 2-0 HEROINES. In the third point, I ended up in a 1v1 against Roxy. It was another long point that burned the clock, and ended in a no point. Fourth point was another long fight, and this time they got it. It was 2-1, and suddenly we were in the exact same position we’d been in against High Rollers, less than a minute left, needing to hold the point.
We managed to force a major penalty, which gave us an automatic point. The final score: 3-1. HEROINES win again. I was overwhelmed. Playing against my old team brought up a lot of emotions, and when we walked to shake hands, I gave Tami Adamson the biggest hug. She played such a big role in the player I’ve become, and it meant a lot.
When we got to the podium, they announced:
“Pro Overall MVP for WNXL — Daniela Rojas”
“Pro Finals MVP — Nana Blanco”
A moment I’ll never forget.
Thank you
To my family, Lori, Anthony, and all the HEROINES girls, thank you for believing in me. To Jenn, for helping me have the best prep possible before the tournament. To everyone who cheered, supported, and stood by me on this journey. And of course, to my sponsors:
Clatter Paintball, Violence, Planet Eclipse, JT Paintball, Twister and Committed Paintball, GI Sports, and soon, a new name joining the family.
