Washington Freedom return to Oakland for the MLC 2026 Playoffs, facing MI New York in a high-stakes Eliminator. A win sends us through to the Challenger, keeping our mission to bring the trophy home alive.

This marks our fourth successive season in the MLC Playoffs, a testament to the consistency this team has built. Fittingly, the draw has served up a rematch against the defending champions, whom we beat as recently as July 12. That night, Andries Gous (96) and Rachin Ravindra (60) powered an emphatic five-wicket win, a result that proved pivotal in securing our third-place league finish and, ultimately, this playoff spot.

Our form heading into the game is incredibly promising. Mitchell Owen has been in outstanding touch with the bat, racking up 375 runs this season, while Saurabh Netravalkar has led the bowling attack superbly, topping the wickets column with 13. Nikhil Chaudhary has made an instant impact since his mid-season arrival, and Rachin Ravindra continues to influence games with both bat and ball.

Team stalwarts Captain Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have repeatedly delivered when we've needed them most, and all eyes will be on this powerhouse pairing to set the tone once again in a contest where every move matters.

This is where belief gets tested. The resilience that carried us back into the Playoffs, the confidence we've built all season, and a united dressing room - it all comes down to this one game. Win here, and we stay firmly on course for our second MLC title.