The Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL) Championship Series kicks off Tuesday.

Four teams will compete under Olympic Sixes rules. Six players are on the field at once with eight-minute quarters, a 30-second shot clock and a 10-second clearing clock.

This structure forced coaches to assess the skill set on their rosters and get creative in their approaches to win games. Each squad is employing a different strategy in hopes of hoisting the inaugural trophy.

Boston Guard: “Play fast but smart”

The Guard aim to take the field as prepared as possible on Wednesday night.

They spent the last three to four weeks establishing relationships and reviewing the Sixes game film. During film sessions, head coach Laurie DeLuca honed in on the sub box and pace as key pieces for how she wants the team to operate.

“We’re going to apply some guidelines on the utilization of the sub box in transition,” DeLuca said. “It’s a huge piece of our plan, and we’re going to try to use that to our advantage.”

The constant transition from defense to offense and vice versa means the Guard want an opponent’s offense to beat them with a great shot. Boston’s defensive duo of Courtney Taylor and Cassidy Weeks is going to apply pressure early to set the tone.

The Guard will be selective in their pressure to avoid burnout. The game's fast-paced nature may cause the likes of Madison Ahern or Charlotte North to get sloppy, which is something DeLuca hopes to avoid.

“We’ve talked a lot about frenetic pace because of the shot clock,” DeLuca said. “You want to play fast but smart and don’t need to play rushed.”

Boston will look to take each game quarter by quarter and assess from there. Players’ roles will shift, but DeLuca expects everyone to have the mindset of putting the team first.

California Palms: “What would Ally Mastroianni do?”

Once rosters became official, Adam Sear was keen to maximize the time he had until the opening draw.

Multiple Zoom meetings ensured everyone was on the same page when it came time to draw up the X’s and O’s for each position on the field. Unit-specific Zooms involved getting players’ insight into what they would do in individual matchups.

“I would ask my players what Sam Geiersbach or Ally Mastroianni do in this situation,” Sear said. “We wanted to connect and learn from coach to player or player to coach.”

The Palms’ combination of veterans, like Sammy Jo Tracy and Maggie Bill, and younger faces, like Taylor Moreno and Caitlyn Wurzberger, helps the team focus on only the positives, not the setbacks.

California felt the buzz around the league and is eager to embrace the attention from fans.

“We’re going to lean into it, and why not use the excitement as a motivator?” Sear said. “Just be yourself to have confidence in what you’re doing.”

Sear and the Palms are excited to represent California and will use being the only West Coast club as added motivation.

Maryland Charm: “Use instincts and expertise”

The Charm came together to discuss the niche nuances of Sixes lacrosse and everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.

The group plans to utilize many of the players’ coaching backgrounds. Head coach Taylor Cummings Danseglio believes their perspectives from the sidelines will translate to the WLL games.

“Our team is full of a lot of people who’ve coached at various levels, so there’s a ton of IQ,” Cummings Danseglio said. “We’re giving them the green light to use instincts and expertise.”

The Charm feature two of the oldest players in the league in Alex Aust Holman and Megan Douty. They have the most veteran team with an average age of 26 years old — two years older than other squads.

Using the defensive expertise of Abby Bosco and Lizzie Colson will be important. Whether Maryland employs a man-to-man or zone defense, Cummings Danseglio’s squad can disrupt an attacker’s rhythm.

“We’re lucky to have a defensive unit who are really comfortable in different styles,” Cummings Danseglio said. “The more we can force mistakes and make turnovers the better.”

Maryland wants to limit turnovers on the offensive side and play a clean game that produces victories.

New York Charging: “Value passes per possession”

Colleen Magarity and the Charging have one thing on their minds for the Championship Series: possession.

Magarity reached out to some men’s lacrosse teams for advice on how to adapt to the tournament's format. Meetings consisted of film breakdown to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

“The biggest thing is passes per possession,” Magarity said. “Lots of goals will be scored, but being able to value passes per possession and moving the ball is our main focus.”

Magarity stressed the importance of the little details. She told attackers, including Izzy Scane and Meg Tyrell, not to force opportunities but instead recognize their positioning before ripping a shot.

A 12-woman roster leaves little room for too much intensity. It’ll be a balancing act for players like midfielder Belle Smith and defender Kendall Halpern to conserve energy for future games while setting the team up in a good place to win.

“You can get caught in the track race very easily and push the pace,” Magarity said. “Having the IQ and wherewithal to settle it down and not get caught sprinting will help win games.”

New York wants to be explosive right out of the gate and use a mental reset if contests are slipping away.