NSL Employee's 2026 Bracket Picks - National Squash League

The 2026 NSL Finals are almost here, and we have a bracket challenge to celebrate! In this article, I’m going to reveal my NSL bracket picks. To compete against me and other NSL fans, be sure to submit your own bracket at https://nslfinals.com/. With that, let’s get into it.

Women’s Bracket

Semifinal 1: SONO Sharks vs DC Inferno

Projected Lineups:

SONO: Margot Prow, Salma Hany, Marina Stefanoni

DC: Amanda Sobhy, Jasmine Hutton, Noa Romero

Pick: SONO 3-1 DC

Why?

SoNo is still undefeated across two NSL regular seasons in franchise history. Now is the time to prove they’re not a regular season paper tiger and get a playoff win under their belt. I think they’re well-positioned to do just that.

The Sharks return two strong players from their recent win over Lake Erie in Salma Hany and Marina Stefanoni. The fact that their two headliners just played an NSL match bodes well for SoNo. DC on the other hand, last played on Valentine’s Day. Their headlining duo of Amanda Sobhy and Jasmine Hutton is also great. But, they may have to get re-adjusted to the format having been away from it for so long. SoNo, on the other hand, is ready to go.

Why specifically a 3-1 win fo SoNo? It comes down to the difference between the third player in each lineup, Margot Prow and Noa Romero. If you just look at their world rankings (69th and 76th respectively), you may not perceive much of a difference. But for me, Prow easily clears Romero in the NSL format. For one, she has the edge in experience, having played with SoNo both seasons. But, she also is a real asset to NSL lineups in a way many players in her rating range are not. Prow contributed 34 points in 19 minutes against the Freeze this year, and she actually led the Sharks with 5.5 points per power play. Prow’s attacking prowess (pun intended) shines through in the NSL format, and it will be needed over the course of a 30-minute third period.

Romero was a weak link for DC when she played, and I ultimately think that Prow will be the tiebreaker that puts SoNo over the edge in the third period and the match as a whole.

Semifinal 2: New York Queens vs Seattle Freeze

Projected Lineups:

NYQ: Fayrouz Aboelkheir, Nardine Garas, Nour Heikal

SEA: Hannah Craig, Mariam Metwally, Tinne Gillis

Pick: New York 4-0 Seattle

Why?

4-0 might seem harsh on Seattle, but I can’t get past how strong the Queens’ lineup is. It’s headlined by the clear MVP of the women’s division this year, Fayrouz Abouelkheir. Fayrouz averaged nearly two points a minute across both the Queens’ regular season matchups. They’re also bringing Nardine Garas, who was an attacking revelation against Philadelphia this season, and Nour Heikal. Heikal, by the way, scored 37 points in 15 minutes of play.

It’s just an insane amount of attacking firepower. I don’t see how Seattle slows them down.

If anyone can do it though, it’s Tinne Gilis. Gilis turned in the performance of the year against Lake Erie, scoring 73 points in 39 minutes. The rest of their lineup is good too! Hannah Craig played well defensively in her minutes against SoNo. Frankly, I thought she deserved more playing time than she got. Mariam Metwally is also an incredible attacking player who can really dial it up on power plays. If Metwally is the attacker, Craig the defender, and Gilis the utility player, I could see that being a synergistic lineup that causes problems for New York.

And yet, I have a 4-0 New York win. The Queens looked comfortable in the format all season despite being an expansion team. Now they get to trot out their strongest lineup. I expect them to assert their will as a result.

Championship: SONO Sharks vs New York Queens

Pick: SONO 1-3 New York

Why?

If this ends up being the championship, we’d be in for a treat. Both teams have played and coached at a high level all year. But, I like New York to win. Again, there’s simply too much firepower in that lineup.

WINNER: New York Queens

Final Bracket:

Men’s Bracket

Semifinal 1: Philadelphia Lightning vs Greenwich Panthers

Projected Lineups:

PHI: Marwan Elshorbagy, Nathan Lake, Nick Wall

GRE: Mostafa Asal, Greg Marche, Dimitri Steinmann

Pick: Philadelphia 3-1 Greenwich

Why?

Greenwich ended up snagging the wildcard spot ahead of Atlanta on point differential. Obviously, Mostafa Asal’s name sticks out like a sore thumb in the Greenwich lineup. He really started to grasp the format in the last match, and that’s something Philly will have to contend with. The problem with Greenwich, in my mind, is they play too slow. In the past I talked about pace in the NSL, essentially the number of scoring opportunities a team has per match. Asal, Marche, and Steinmann – all incredible players, but they all play slow. There’s simply no room for error as a result. It’s also historically been difficult for Greenwich to flip a switch and play faster, more attacking squash. All that’s to say, the Panthers struggle to build a lead or some back from a large deficit.

That’s exactly the type of weakness Philly can and will exploit. The Lightning have my pick for men’s MVP in Marwan Elshorbagy. Alongside him are two excellent role players in Nathan Lake (defender) and Nick Wall (attacker). Philly has yet to lose an NSL match, and I don’t see them starting now against a talented yet flawed Greenwich team.

Semifinal 2: Newport Dragons vs Chicago Grizzlies

Projected Lineups:

NEW: Timmy Brownell, Yahya Elnawasany, Matias Knudsen

CHI: Karim Gawad, Sam Todd, Simon Herbert

Pick: Newport 3-1 Chicago

Why?

I like Newport in this matchup. They’re trotting out the same three players who played both regular season matches and went undefeated. I think it’s fair to say this Newport lineup is the most optimized lineup we’ve seen all year. Brownell brings more NSL experience than anyone else could possibly offer, Yahya is a soul-sucking defender, and Matias Knudsen on a power play…that might be the best spectacle in the NSL. Together, those three offer a complete skillset that I don’t see Chicago overcoming.

However, this is a great Chicago lineup that we can’t just dismiss. Gawad, as expected, was a top performer in the NSL this year. Simon Herbert’s experience and tactical awareness is always a huge asset. Sam Todd also makes his season debut. The young Englishman has rapidly ascended the rankings in recent years, and he’ll be a formidable player in both an attacking and defensive capacity.

I expect this to be a great match, but Newport has the talent and coaching edge in my view. I can’t pick against that.

Championship: Philadelphia Lightning vs Newport Dragons

Pick: Philadelphia 2-2 Newport (winner in shootout)

Why?

The 2026 NSL season has offered the highest level of squash in league history. What better way to cap off a great season than with a shootout in the championship? These two teams have performed admirably all year, but I’ll take Newport to win. We’re really splitting hairs comparing these two teams. I give Newport the narrow edge based on attacking play. If Philly had Mohamed Abouelghar in the lineup, I might feel differently. But, Matias Knudsen is in such great form, and Yahya Elnawasany might be the best defender in the league. That combination will be tough to beat. Pat Cosquer has easily been the coach of the year in my mind as well. All the stars are aligning for Newport to bring a championship home to Rhode Island.

WINNER: Newport Dragons

Final Bracket:

That’s my bracket! If you want to compete against me and other NSL fans, be sure to submit your own bracket at https://nslfinals.com/. The NSL Finals are live on the NSL YouTube channel and Hometeam Network from June 10-12.