The top-rated player at the conclusion of the ESL Impact League Season 5 Finals was an unsigned player from the second-place team. Rachel “RacheLL” Kujawa put on an incredible performance to ensure her mixed team, Let Her Cook, made their way to the finals of the Dallas LAN without dropping a single map. They beat one of the favorites, NAVI Javelins as well as Brazil’s Fluxo Demons and Asian wild card HSG Fe along the way.
RacheLL’s performance was exemplary but more so because there was a timeline where this lineup did not make their way to Dreamhack Dallas to compete in the finals of the women’s Counter-Strike League. Let Her Cook was considered a “puggy” team and somewhat underrated when the finals began. How wrong the pundits were. Despite the result (which saw their winning streak come to a quick end with Imperial claiming a 2-0 victory in the finals, yet again, to remain undefeated since the start of ESL Impact), this player still remains a free agent.
There’s no pressure for Let Her Cook (insert pressure cooker joke)
— ESL Impact (@ESLImpact) May 31, 2024
Some might say they weren’t meant to be here but they proved all the doubters wrong. Now they are 1 game away from the Playoffs of #ESLImpact Dallas Finals. pic.twitter.com/1JGNLBCWnz
RacheLL started playing Counter-Strike with her dad and two brothers when she was seven years old. She said she decided to start competing because she loves a challenge. Outside of CS, her competitive drive has seen her practice Judo for close to sixteen years. Her CS career began with her countrywomen, when in 2019 she started playing with other French ladies, training to find herself in the position she is now. With the player break at an end and a bit of time to process the wild ride which was the ESL Impact LAN finals, I wanted to find out how RacheLL would summarize the experience and get a feel for the women’s scene from a professional player.
Let Her Cook teammate Yoana “Joanana” Vlaykoka explained during media day at the Season 5 finals that the mixed team lineup was formed relatively last minute to finish up the regular season after the original roster disbanded. Joanana says the remaining teammates felt it necessary to finish the season out of respect for the organizers and didn’t want to forfeit. The team went on to qualify for the finals which was a big, albeit exciting, surprise for the European scene.
- Photo by Luc Bouchon courtesy of ESL
Walk us through the journey to get to the finals.
RacheLL: “We had to win our last game of the regular season to be able to play the play-in and qualify. We played with Luna instead of KezziWow. I didn’t even know I had to play the last game! We joined teamspeak and the server and we just played round by round. There was no pressure. We also didn’t have an IGL! It was the decider map against GUILD Impact, we were losing 3-9 and all of a sudden we just started fighting back and were able to win in overtime. I can’t even tell you what happened, but we did it and I think it was because we had nothing to lose. I believe this was why, at the ESL Impact Final, we were fully confident.”
You qualify for the finals, which are to be held at Dreamhack Dallas alongside IEM. Traveling to the USA for a LAN Final must have been surreal.
RacheLL: “This was my first experience in the USA at an international LAN event. I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people. It was an honour to compete against top-tier teams in a prestigious tournament, presenting both challenging and exhilarating moments. The crowd’s support was also truly remarkable. Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious which provided an additional boost during matches. This experience was truly unforgettable.”
Let Her Cook made their way to the Grand Finals without dropping a map. What did you think of your team’s performance?
RacheLL: “We had no pressure and we could feel it, in and outside the game. We played good Counter-Strike focusing on good basics. Because we had nothing to lose I guess it helped us in a way because even if we were losing we knew we could come back.”
Despite an impressive road to the grand finals, when it came time to play Imperial, they once again claimed victory. This team, even with the addition of a new player, remains undefeated in ESL Impact Season Finals. Why are they so hard to beat?
RacheLL: “They’ve known each other for such a long time. Zaaz joined them recently but she is also a well-known player with a lot of experience. Imperial has the best reactions on the server. They know what to do at the right time and make good calls. You need to make the least mistakes possible in order to beat them.”
- Photo by Luc Bouchon courtesy of ESL
Let Her Cook was labeled as having a “puggy style” of play by some of the Impact fans. Some of your teammates were vocal about these labels being somewhat disingenuous. How did you feel about the commentary?
RacheLL: “Comments are just comments. If it means we win, we will play as a pug team. Let’s be honest, it is hard to play versus a FACEIT team, but if you do your job as a team and have some protocols about how to counter a mix, the team will win in the end.”
You were the top rated player in the ESL Impact Finals and definitely showcased yourself as a player teams should be looking to pick up. What is next for you?
RacheLL: “Personally, I’ve refused any offers as I’m working full-time in October. I will still play CS, but not in a full time team.”
I think a lot of fans will be disappointed to hear that. What do you think of the women’s CS scene as a whole currently?
RacheLL: “The women’s presence in CS2 is rapidly expanding thanks to increased investment, support and visibility. ESL Impact tournaments are exclusively for women players and offer up increased opportunities and prize pools. Despite the advancements, challenges such as gender-based toxicity still exist. Players have openly shared instances of sexism and harassment which I think emphasises the ongoing need to cultivate a more respectful and inclusive environment. Overall, the community is becoming more competitive and supportive, but addressing toxicity remains imperative.”
