In 2023, Connor Fields was one morning away from playing in the Cash App Championship game. 

However, a lingering shoulder injury left him sidelined.

The two-time first-team All-Pro attackman told Utah Archers head coach Chris Bates, “I don't think I'd be able to be much help out there,” and allowed his coach to decide if he would play.

“Last year I wasn't sure what was gonna happen, how that weekend was gonna play out,” Fields explained. “It really was a game-time decision. Like, I practiced the night before and actually felt pretty good in practice last year the night before, and then I woke up the next morning, [and] my shoulder was sore.”

Fields had to watch from the sideline as his teammates went to war against the Waterdogs at Subaru Park. It was an all-time championship clash that was settled by Tom Schreiber late in the fourth quarter. 

Flash forward to the present, and now some things are flipped. Fields is gearing up to play in the finals this Sunday against the Maryland Whipsnakes while his teammate Schreiber looks on from the sideline with an injury. This year might be Fields' best chance to take over the spotlight on the biggest stage. 

Before he can do that, he has to deal with the pregame jitters. 

“It’s hard to sleep all week,” Fields said. “Honestly, I’m like just thinking about the day and you know, obviously visualizing and running it through your head.” 

To give everyone an idea of what a potential Fields play could be like against the Whipsnakes, look no further than this:

Fieldsy brings out all the magic when we play the Whipsnakes 🪄😮‍💨

Sunday
1PM MT/3PM ET
ABC pic.twitter.com/gQ1Z5IpmSL

— Utah Archers (@PLLArchers) September 11, 2024

That was just one of the 25 goals Fields scored in another electric season for the Archers. On Sunday, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with if he gets hot early.

“It sounds kind of cliche because I think you could probably say this about anybody, but when he sticks a couple early, that's when you kind of know you’ve got to feed him a little bit,” Archers midfielder Grant Ament said. “When he gets going and he's able to occupy that left side, that takes the onus off of all of us dodging-wise.”

Against the Whips earlier this season, Fields recorded three points (3G). Maryland defenseman Matt Dunn will do everything in his power to prevent the craftiest player in the league from putting together another performance like that. It will be the matchup to watch in the Cash App Championship. 

Even though Dunn has 40-plus pounds on Fields, it will likely be one of the most physical battles during the game. Fields tends to try to back down his defenders like Shaq in the post, but he can also back off and rip a James Harden-esque lefty crossover split dodge that leaves defenders in the dust. 

Simply put, Fields is a nightmare cover. 

“He's definitely got a flair for the dramatic and is super impressive when it comes to his stick skills,” Ament explained. “I actually think the way that he plays and all that stuff, he's good enough, and he's mastered his craft, where I don't look at it as anything flashy or anything like that.”

However, Fields' one Kryptonite has been Tim Muller and the Whipsnakes during his career. The Whips have ended Fields' season more than any other team. 

In 2019, they handed Fields and the Chaos their first loss in a double-elimination playoff bracket. In 2020, the Whipsnakes knocked him out in the championship, but he didn’t dress. So they followed it up by eliminating Fields in 2021 and 2022. Muller also ended Fields' junior season at the University of Albany as a member of the 2017 Maryland Terrapins — who won the NCAA Championship that year. 

“I wouldn't say I think about it too much in terms of the past history, because it's a new year, new team, all that in terms of playing against the Whips in the playoffs,” Fields said. 

But Fields knows the Whipsnakes are going to be a tough out again.

“I think every team's a really tough team to beat in this league, and there's so many good players on that team, they're so well coached,” Fields said. “They always come ready to play and have a good game plan going in.” 

Fields also knows his Archers are primed to go back-to-back. 

“I think everyone out there just has one goal in mind,” Fields said about his team. “I'm confident in our group too, with our guys, and, you know, our coaching staff is great. I feel like we're always put in positions to be successful.”

Success is brewing in Philadelphia as the weekend nears, as is motivation. 

“I'd say I'm as motivated as ever to win this one,” Fields said. 

On Sunday, Fields can win his first title while on the field and wash away the negative memories of his past playoff experiences. The Cash App Championship starts at 3 p.m. on ABC.