July 16, 2026
photo by Bryant Alvarez, WPSL 2026
By Andrew Mosier, WPSL Communications
Georgia Impact knew going into its fourth WPSL season it had a good team.
The squad was a blend of seasoned veterans and young players on the cusp of that next level that fit in seamlessly with the older players.
The amalgamation made for a series of first for Georgia Impact: first Southeast Conference title; first South Region title; and the club’s first appearance in the WPSL Championships, where on Saturday it will face East Region winners New York Athletic Club in the semifinal round of the WPSL Championships at 9 a.m. in Riverside, Mo.
There were early signs of the potential of the quality and character of the side holding on to a 4-3 road win against Nashville Rhythm FC, a perennial favorite to win the intensely competitive conference.
The next week, Georgia Impact came away with another statement-making win in its home opener at Woodstock High School thanks to a brace from Mireya Stephenson, whose back-to-back goals gave Impact a 3-2 win. Stephenson led the club with five of Impact’s 25 goals scored this season.
Five days later, Impact got the attention of the entire league with a 1-0 upset of reigning South Region winners and 2025 WPSL semifinalists Chattanooga FC in Chattanooga. Grace Eatz score game-winner in the 58th minute, and goalkeeper Charlee Bernal stymied several CFC opportunities to hold on to the 1-0 win that earned Georgia Impact Week Five Team of the Week Honors, putting the entire league on notice.
Even with the national recognition, Georgia Impact did not play like it had a target on its back. Madison Hook scored a 90th minute game-winner at home over 865 Alliance, and Eatz and Sarah Houston scored goals five days later as Impact shut out the reigning conference winners, DECATUR FC 2-0, with goalkeeper Jaddah Foos earning credit for the clean sheet.
Georgia Impact’s only blemish came in Week Eight, with the conference title already wrapped up, in the return match with DECATUR FC. The 2-1 loss put Impact at 7-0-1 in Southeast Conference play, six points clear of 865 Alliance and Nashville Rhythm, which finished tied on points for second, and seven points clear of DECATUR FC.
Georgia Impact rebounded from the regular season-ending loss with aplomb, overcoming lengthy weather delays and the high-scoring Mississippi Delta Conference champions, Little Rock Rangers SC in the South Region Semifinal thanks to an Ines Obradovac goal in the 34th minute and clutch goalkeeping from Foos to put Impact through to the South Region Final for the first time in club history, where Impact faced two-time WPSL champions Pensacola FC, which had won in penalty kicks over Arlington SA the night before.
In the final, Georgia Impact proved to be too much, tallying four second half goals from Callie O'Connor, Sarah Houston, Brooke Hart, and Obradovac, while Foos earned her second consecutive postseason clean sheet to advance to the WPSL Championships in Kansas City. O'Connor, Eatz, Obradovac, and Madison Hook were named to the All-South Region team for their weekend performances.
Georgia Impact takes on East Region winners New York Athletic Club Saturday at 9 a.m. CDT in the first WPSL Championships semifinal match of the day. California Storm and Kansas City Current II kick off play at 9 a.m. Semifinal winners face off at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 at Riverside Stadium. Purchase tickets here. All three matches will be available live and on demand on WPSL.TV.
