California Palms add offensive firepower in Anna Brandt, Ellie Masera during waiver period

The California Palms were not shy during the waiver period. They were quite the opposite, landing starpower in Anna Brandt and Ellie Masera, and making three other claims in Gabby Rosenzweig, Jill Smith and Caroline Steele.

The additions of Brandt and Masera add dimension to the Palms’ offense and pressure to opponents’ defense. It’s a change of pace for California, last year a defensive-minded team built around goalie Taylor Moreno. But now, first-year head coach and general manager Maddy Buss has bolstered the Palms’ roster to complement do-it-all midfielder Ally Mastroianni.

Brandt, the 2025 Penn grad, was Sheehan Stanwick Burch’s No. 2-ranked WLL prospect. Brandt was also the 2025 IWLCA Midfielder of the Year and 2025 Ivy League Midfielder of the Year, recording 68 goals and 60 ground balls that season, and represented Team North in the 2025 WLL All-Star Game, scoring two goals.

As Stanwick Burch writes, “Brandt is the definition of a true two-way midfielder” and “impacts every phase of the game.”

“Brandt is fast, fiercely competitive and shifty with the ball — able to dodge with either hand and shoot through traffic,” Stanwick Burch continues. “She doesn’t need much space to get her shot off and relentlessly works to get open. Whether she’s taking the draw, sparking transition or scoring under pressure, Brandt is a complete midfielder who elevates Penn on both ends of the field.”

Masera, another midfielder, is a similar story. She graduated from Stony Brook in 2024, the same year she emerged a Tewaaraton Award finalist after a 77-goal, 40-assist, 145-draw control season. She ended her collegiate career with 317 points (232G, 85A), the sixth player in program history to reach 200 goals and fifth to 300 career points. She also had the fourth-most goals in program history, the sixth-most assists and the fifth-most points.

Masera walks into the 2026 WLL Championship Series with plenty of Sixes experience, having played the game format at The World Games in 2022 and The Atlas Cup, an international event held in the U.S. showcasing Sixes, in 2025.

The Palms also added some record-setters over the waiver period with Rosenzweig and Smith. Rosenzweig, the sister of WLL All-Star Livy Rosenzweig, graduated from Penn in 2020 with the career points record (247), single-season points record (98) and single-season assists record (63). Smith, the former Michigan attacker, departed the program in 2025 with the career points record (245).

Former Maryland attacker Steele is a two-time national champion. She graduated in 2019 with 205 goals, 59 assists and 93 ground balls to her name.

In corresponding moves, the Palms released attackers Isabella Peterson and Maggi Hall.

The 2026 WLL Championship Series kicks off Feb. 27 at The St. James outside Washington, D.C., with the winner being crowned March 8. Game play will take place over the course of the two weekends — a format change from last year’s week-long tournament. Round-robin play lasts from Feb. 27 to March 6. The second- and third-placed teams will play in the semifinal on March 7, meeting the first-seeded team — who earns a playoff bye — in the title game on March 8. The fourth-placed team after round-robin action will be eliminated from the tournament.

The PLL debuted the Sixes format Championship Series in 2023, and women’s play began last year, with the Guard taking home the first title. In its return at the 2028 Olympics, lacrosse will be played in the Sixes style, showcasing the fastest, most creative and aggressive angles of the sport.