Kelli Finglass, director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, looks back on Season 3 of Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts,” including Reece Weaver’s retirement, the high-stakes decision to cut Dayton Bramhall for a third time, and how the team handles injuries a
When Reece Weaver shocked fans by retiring at the end of Season 3 of “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” the moment landed hard inside the organization, too—less because it was unexpected, and more because she was so deeply woven into the team’s identity.
Season 3, which follows the 2025–26 cheer squad from auditions and training camp through the NFL season, dropped on Netflix on June 16. It charts a year of back-of-house pressure and high-visibility performance. including Weaver’s retirement. the addition of Faith Ward as the first-ever New Zealander to join DCC. and repeated drama around selection decisions—most notably Dayton Bramhall being cut for the third time.
Kelli Finglass, Director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, said she couldn’t be more proud of the season—and she described what it meant when Weaver, a fan favorite, told the team she was leaving.
“I think this show does a great job of introducing the world to some of the individual personalities that we have on the team. ” Finglass said. “I love this year that we get to showcase our stage show. That’s a dream come true. We really get to celebrate how talented they are. I’m really proud of this year, and of course, the ladies who made the team.”.
When asked about the big reveal at the end of Season 3—Weaver retiring—Finglass said she did not presume it would be her last season.
“Not necessarily. Three years is a really full career. It really is. Reece, to use her words, her cup was full,” she said. “She’s had a lot of experiences in her three years here, and she’s been such a positive light for us. I was sad the day she told us, but it made perfect sense. She is newly married and went back to Alabama. Of course, we’ll miss her. She made a lasting impression on our team and, clearly, our fan base. She’s one of the darlings in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She has nothing but great things in her future, so I’m very happy for her.”.
For fans worried about who might replace Weaver’s presence. Finglass pushed back on the idea that one cheerleader can ever be the “face” of the team. “Honestly, I’ve never thought of one single cheerleader like that,” she said. “When I’m thinking of our team, I’m thinking of all 36 [women]. And typically in a training camp, we start with 45. So my world is [centered] around all of them. We’ve got people who have come in from all over the world. and they’ve dedicated so much time and resources … they all deserve my full attention.”.
Finglass also addressed how the organization adapts when injuries hit—something Season 3 showed more painfully than most years. In the season, Weaver suffered an injury that caused her to miss several games. Finglass said the team brought in Claire, a DCC All-Star, to fill Weaver’s spot.
On why the squad doesn’t rely on dedicated alternates or a formal backup squad. Finglass explained that the organization uses All-Stars instead. “Through the years, we’ve had different options. Right now, we have what we call All-Stars,” she said. “There are a few girls who. after spending their time with us. we’ll give them an extended contract to do appearances when our appearance load has gotten too heavy − which it is now. So when we’ve had an injury in the past. we go back in time and would reach out to an All-Star to replace an injured cheerleader.”.
She said the team had avoided injury problems in the prior couple of years. “except Reece’s Christmas injury.” Finglass described the scene as it happened: “It happened literally right in front of me; it was instant. Our trainer reacted and responded, and that was our last rehearsal before our show went live. We grabbed Kennedy. who was in the wings. and she learned all of Reece’s parts in one night. and we moved on.” Finglass called it a reminder that the dancers are “interchangeable − in a strong way. ” with the ability to step in and help each other.
That method also carries its own tension: All-Stars aren’t always training as consistently as the full-time squad. Finglass said the approach has worked “so far,” and that the girls pulled in are usually “our most seasoned vets.”
“They just can’t commit to the full football squad game commitment. but they can still do some on-and-off appearances and a few select performances. ” she said. “And they’ve done brilliantly. It comes right back to them. [especially] the ones that are just a month or two out of the locker room. They’re still top of [their] game.”.
But even with systems in place, some decisions don’t feel like scheduling. Season 3 included a moment that landed with particular emotional weight: Finglass cutting Dayton Bramhall for the third time.
That choice carried personal complications. Dayton Bramhall’s mother, Shelly Bramhall, is a former DCC and works with the organization. Finglass said the connection “tugs at my heart,” even as she stood by the process.
“That part is complicated; it tugs at my heart. But I will always be very confident in our audition process and even beyond that, our training camp. I know that Dayton gave us everything that she could through the years. and I know that we gave her every chance to make the team. ” she said. “It really came down to a match of dance style. She’s a beautiful dancer, but there were 40 very, very, very strong dancers who were just a stronger power-palm dancer. She’s starting a new career, I believe, and things are okay, but it’s tough.”.
As the show has grown in popularity. Season 3 also turned attention toward the pressures that come from public scrutiny—especially the way criticism online can sharpen what’s said in training and what sticks with the team. Finglass said she leaned harder into positive feedback, framing it as something she believes is essential for dancers under strain.
“In my role. and any coach or educator’s role. positive feedback is as important. if not more important. than what we call a dance note. a correction. ” she said. “Some girls, if we give them corrections, that’s all they hear and that’s their takeaway. I can give eight compliments and one correction, and the correction is what keeps them awake at night. So I recognize that. I feel like I give a lot of compliments a lot of the time because they really are great. but what seems to sting and seems more lasting are the dance critique notes. But we try our best because they’re giving us their best.”.
The season also zeroed in on social media backlash—particularly around Faith Ward’s ponytail. Ward, who joined DCC as the first-ever New Zealander to be on the squad, became a flashpoint for fans who were vocal about her look.
Finglass described it as both a styling choice and a character moment. “I know it’s highly discussed. She applied with a ponytail, and she was adorable in her application, and one night at rehearsal, I was like, ‘Why don’t you wear a ponytail? It would make you stand out. It’s memorable.’”
She said iconic past cheerleaders had worn ponytails or pigtails. and that the look wasn’t just about trend—it had personality. “We’ve had some iconic cheerleaders in the past who have worn a ponytail or a pigtail. It may or may not be on trend − well. it is trending now. but probably because of Faith − but she had such a high-fashion look with her ponytail and it’s got a personality of its own. ” Finglass said.
Finglass tied the reaction to what happened during the live show. “We did our second year of the live show, and Faith was a part of that. I asked little girls, ‘Who’s your favorite cheerleader?’ They’re like, ‘Faith, because we like her ponytail!’ ”
Taken together. the season’s biggest turning points—Weaver’s retirement. Bramhall’s repeated cut. the injury scramble handled with All-Stars and an emergency learning sprint. and the online debate over Ward’s ponytail—show a team operating under two competing forces. One is the certainty of performance decisions made through auditions, training camp, and dance style. The other is the outside noise that turns normal coaching and appearance choices into public debate.
On June 16, the new season landed on Netflix, and with it, the organization’s most personal moments were laid bare. Finglass’s message underneath the headlines was clear: the decisions are hard. the standards are strict. and the roster moves on—while the people left behind are still credited for everything they brought to the squad.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Kelli Finglass Reece Weaver Dayton Bramhall Faith Ward Netflix America’s Sweethearts NFL cheerleading DCC Season 3 social media criticism injuries