Essi Saastamoinen

2024 WFA NATIONAL CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Essi Saastamoinen, D.C. Divas.

Although this was her first season playing in the USA for the WFA and the Divas, Essi Saastamoinen (pronounced “sah-sta-moy-nen”) had already built up a solid legacy in her native Finland, playing five years with the Turku Trojans and leading the Finnish team to the bronze medal as the host nation of the 2022 IFAF Women’s World Championship. The States soon got a quick reminder of Essi’s pure power, as she went on to lead WFA PRO with 73 combined tackles and place third in solo tackles with 51 (twice as many as the second-highest Divas’ solo tackler got!). With five TFLs and one forced fumble, Essi played an absolutely instrumental part in this breakout season for the Divas, helping them put up a strong fight against their top-caliber opponents all season, particularly their closest game in six years against their nemeses the Boston Renegades in the WFA PRO National Conference Semifinal. Essi will return to Finland to play in the Turku Trojans’ fall season and to lead her Finnish national team to battle in the 2024 IFAF European Championships Silver Medal Game against Great Britain on August 17.