Background & History
The Chicago Tempest are a founding member of Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), based in the Chicago, Illinois. Following the announcement of WER in April 2024, the Chicago Tempest team name and logo were announced in January 2025 alongside the other 5 founding WER teams. In addition to the name and logo, the Chicago Tempest announced their ‘Foundational Five’, a group of 5 players that made up the team’s first signings. The Foundational Five for the Chicago Tempest can be found below.
Building on the foundation of the WPL’s Chicago North Shore, The Tempest played their first ever professional game on 23rd March, 2025 against their Midwest rivals, the TC Gemini. The Tempest struggled during WER’s inaugural season, which was not helped when head coach Bryan Colbridge stepped down for personal reasons just 1 month into the season. Despite coming close a number of times, they finished the campaign in 6th place with a winless 0-10 record and only 2pts in the standings, 15pts behind the 5th placed TC Gemini. They will no doubt be dreaming of that first team win early in 2026.
Foundational Five
records & Record Holders
All-Time:
Top Scorer: Isla Alejandro (30pts)
Top Try Scorer: Isla Alejandro (6)
Most Appearances: Isla Alejandro, MarCaya Bailous, Kadie Sanford, Katie Lamont, Adriana Mendoza Silva (10)
Most Starts: Isla Alejandro, Kadie Sanford, Katie Lamont, Adriana Mendoza Silva (10)
Single Season:
Top Scorer: Isla Alejandro (30pts – 2025)
Top Try Scorer: Isla Alejandro (6 – 2025)
Historical Performance
2025: 0-10 (-325) – 2pts: 6th
Overall Regular Season Record: 0-10
Overall Legacy Cup Record:Â N/A
Legacy Cup Appearances:Â 0
Head Coach & Captain
Head Coach:
- Bryan Colbridge (March-April 2025)
- Kristin Zdanzewicz (2025)
Captain:
- Ilene Andrade (2025)
Logo
All of the WER logos and branding for the league’s inaugural season were co-designed by the league and British advertising agency MATTA. They were unveiled in January 2025. The Chicago Tempest logo ties in the extreme weather of the ‘Windy City’, with a crest featuring a storm circling the iconic Willis Tower as lighting strikes the antennae. The logo fits well for a midwestern team while also paying homage to the city of Chicago, and predicts the oncoming storm on the field.
VEnue
For their inaugural season, the Chicago Tempest played their home games at the 12,000 seat Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium within the campus of Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. They share this grass stadium with the Northwestern Wildcats NCAA lacrosse, men’s & women’s soccer, and football teams.
Results
Chicago Tempest Players – Active
| Player | Position | GP | GS | T | C | P | DG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Tillman | Flanker, Lock, Number 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maria Bashmakov | Flanker, Hooker, Number 8, Prop | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amaryha McGowan | Flanker, Number 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kadie Sanford | Flanker, Prop | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ilene Andrade | Hooker, Prop | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Anabel Diaz | Prop | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarah Curvin | Flanker, Lock | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellie Reiter | Lock | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Katie Lamont | Flanker | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blessing Okundaye | Hooker, Lock, Prop | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elena Strom | Wing | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ubaida Ahmed | Center, Flanker | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vanessa Chiappetta | Center, Fly-half, Fullback | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Kit Buzby | Number 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Nicole Fisch | Scrum-half | 9 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Taylor White | Fly-half, Fullback, Scrum-half | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MarCaya Bailous | Center, Fullback, Wing | 10 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Emma Farnan | Center, Fullback, Wing | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Adriana Mendoza Silva | Center, Fly-half, Fullback, Wing | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Betty Nguyen | Center, Scrum-half, Wing | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julia Wallace | Lock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isla Alejandro | Fullback, Wing | 10 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Tito Harrison | Lock, Prop | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashley Mencke | Center, Flanker, Lock, Number 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayla Twitty | Center, Flanker, Hooker | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abby Albrecht | Center, Flanker, Number 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emily Tunney | Center, Flanker, Fullback, Lock, Number 8, Wing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Indigo Niznik-Darden | Center, Flanker | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooke Walklate | Center, Fly-half | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Erika Farais | Scrum-half | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mackenzie Wood | Center, Fullback, Wing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keki Jordan | Prop | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lauren Kuffel | Center, Flanker | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ariane Lozac’hmeur | Lock | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jess Dombrowski | Fly-half, Scrum-half | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Olga Niyibizi | Flanker, Hooker, Number 8, Scrum-half | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colleen Murphy | Hooker, Prop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chicago Tempest Players – All
| Player | Position | GP | GS | T | C | P | DG | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Tillman | Flanker, Lock, Number 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maria Bashmakov | Flanker, Hooker, Number 8, Prop | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amaryha McGowan | Flanker, Number 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kadie Sanford | Flanker, Prop | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ilene Andrade | Hooker, Prop | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Anabel Diaz | Prop | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarah Curvin | Flanker, Lock | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellie Reiter | Lock | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Katie Lamont | Flanker | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blessing Okundaye | Hooker, Lock, Prop | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elena Strom | Wing | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ubaida Ahmed | Center, Flanker | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vanessa Chiappetta | Center, Fly-half, Fullback | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Kit Buzby | Number 8 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Nicole Fisch | Scrum-half | 9 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Taylor White | Fly-half, Fullback, Scrum-half | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MarCaya Bailous | Center, Fullback, Wing | 10 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Emma Farnan | Center, Fullback, Wing | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Adriana Mendoza Silva | Center, Fly-half, Fullback, Wing | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Betty Nguyen | Center, Scrum-half, Wing | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julia Wallace | Lock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isla Alejandro | Fullback, Wing | 10 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Tito Harrison | Lock, Prop | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashley Mencke | Center, Flanker, Lock, Number 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayla Twitty | Center, Flanker, Hooker | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abby Albrecht | Center, Flanker, Number 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emily Tunney | Center, Flanker, Fullback, Lock, Number 8, Wing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Indigo Niznik-Darden | Center, Flanker | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brooke Walklate | Center, Fly-half | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Erika Farais | Scrum-half | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mackenzie Wood | Center, Fullback, Wing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keki Jordan | Prop | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lauren Kuffel | Center, Flanker | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ariane Lozac’hmeur | Lock | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jess Dombrowski | Fly-half, Scrum-half | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Olga Niyibizi | Flanker, Hooker, Number 8, Scrum-half | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colleen Murphy | Hooker, Prop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |