The Heroines
The Heroines, also known as Boston Heroines, is an American professional women's paintball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 2021, the team was among the founding organisations of the Women's National Xball League (WNXL), which began professional competition in 2022.[1][2]
The Heroines won the inaugural 2022 WNXL season championship and subsequently claimed further championships in 2024 and 2025. The team also won the WNXL World Cup in 2022, 2024 and 2025.[3][4][5]
History
[edit]Formation (2021)
[edit]The Heroines was established in 2021 as part of the development of the Women's National Xball League, a professional women's competition organised by the National Xball League (NXL).
The team was associated with Boston Paintball in Massachusetts and was among the original franchises announced ahead of the league's inaugural season.[1][2]
On 11 November 2021, the organisation published an announcement confirming its participation in the WNXL exhibition at the NXL World Cup.
The exhibition introduced women's professional X-Ball competition ahead of the first full WNXL season in 2022.[1]
Inaugural WNXL championship (2022)
[edit]The Heroines competed in the inaugural WNXL season in 2022.
The team finished third at the Sunshine State Major before winning the Mid-Atlantic Major in June.
At the NXL World Cup in November, the Heroines reached the final against Destiny.
The team won the championship match 2–1, securing both the inaugural WNXL World Cup title and the overall 2022 professional season championship.
Jenn Fulk, Rozy McCurley, Alicia Valdivia and Alexis Lazer were among the players identified in contemporary coverage of the final.[3][6]
2023 season
[edit]The Heroines remained competitive during the 2023 WNXL season.
The team finished third at the Sunshine State Major before winning the Windy City Major in September.
At the 2023 World Cup, the Heroines finished third.
The team placed second overall in the WNXL season standings with 379 points, behind the Cheetahs, who secured the championship with 384 points.[7]
Return to the championship (2024)
[edit]The Heroines won their second WNXL season championship in 2024.
After finishing third at the Las Vegas Major, the team won the Mid-Atlantic Major in June and the World Cup in November.
The Heroines finished first overall with 393 championship points, ahead of Dallas Vibe and the Cheetahs.[4]
The 2024 roster included Colombian professional player Daniela Rojas, who joined the organisation following the 2023 season.
According to Rojas, the team was coached by Brad McCurley, with Rozy McCurley also involved in coaching during the season.[8]
Consecutive championship (2025)
[edit]The Heroines successfully defended their WNXL championship in 2025.
The team finished third at the Tampa Bay Open before winning the Midwest Open and World Cup.
At the World Cup, the Heroines defeated Dallas Vibe 2–1 in the professional final.
The championship secured the team's third WNXL World Cup victory and second consecutive season title.
The Heroines finished the 2025 season with 393 points, ahead of Femmes Fatale and Dallas Vibe.[5][9]
2026 season
[edit]The Heroines continued competing in the WNXL professional division in 2026.
The team won the Tampa Bay Open in March, defeating New Jersey High Rollers 5–0 in the championship final.
The Heroines subsequently won the Midwest Open in June.
Following the second event, the team led the provisional 2026 WNXL standings with 200 championship points.[10][11]
Notable players and personnel
[edit]Documented players and personnel associated with the Heroines include:
- Jenn Fulk – Member of the inaugural 2022 championship roster.[6]
- Rozy McCurley – Member of the 2022 championship roster and later involved in coaching.[6][8]
- Alexis Lazer – Member of the 2022 World Cup-winning team.[6]
- Alicia Valdivia – Member of the 2022 World Cup-winning team.[6]
- Krista Titus – Member of the team's 2023 Windy City Major championship roster.[7]
- Daniela Rojas – Colombian professional player who joined the team for the 2024 season.[8]
- Brad McCurley – Coach during the 2024 championship season.[8]
- Anthony Vitale and Lori Miller – Identified as owners of the organisation in Daniela Rojas's account of her career.[8]
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament or series | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | WNXL Professional | 1st [3] |
| 2022 | NXL World Cup | WNXL Professional | 1st [3][6] |
| 2022 | WNXL season standings | Professional | Series champions [3] |
| 2023 | NXL Windy City Major | WNXL Professional | 1st [7] |
| 2023 | WNXL season standings | Professional | 2nd overall [7] |
| 2024 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | WNXL Professional | 1st [4] |
| 2024 | NXL World Cup | WNXL Professional | 1st [4] |
| 2024 | WNXL season standings | Professional | Series champions [4] |
| 2025 | NXL Midwest Open | WNXL Professional | 1st [5] |
| 2025 | NXL World Cup | WNXL Professional | 1st [5][9] |
| 2025 | WNXL season standings | Professional | Series champions [5] |
| 2026 | NXL Tampa Bay Open | WNXL Professional | 1st [10] |
| 2026 | NXL Midwest Open | WNXL Professional | 1st [11] |
See also
[edit]- Women's National Xball League
- National Xball League
- Femmes Fatale (paintball team)
- Destiny (paintball team)
- List of historically significant paintball teams
References
[edit]- Heroines Paintball – The Rise of the Heroines, 11 November 2021.
- National Xball League – Fire vs. Ice: The Debut of a Female Professional Paintball League, the WNXL, 2021.
- PBLeagues – 2022 National Xball League Official Season Rankings.
- PBLeagues – 2024 National Xball League Official Season Rankings.
- PBLeagues – 2025 National Xball League Official Season Rankings.
- National Xball League – The 2022 NXL World Cup Event Recap, 25 November 2022.
- PBLeagues – 2023 National Xball League Official Season Rankings.
- Daniela Rojas – My History, The Heroines.
- PBLeagues – The Heroines, Official Historical Team Results.
- PBLeagues – 2026 NXL Tampa Bay Open, Official Match Scores.
- PBLeagues – 2026 National Xball League Season Rankings.