Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives playing pickleball.
Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives playing pickleball. @maycineeley on Instagram

'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' features pickleball in both seasons 

Like everyone else, I’m currently binge watching season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and somehow it’s even crazier than last season. 

This show is reality TV insanity at its finest and most chaotic. The moms were popularized from their TikTok accounts they called “MomTok” where they gave viewers a fascinating look into their polarizing lifestyles. After a major scandal, it didn’t take long for TV producers from Hulu to come knocking on their doors to film their lives.

The drama is some of the most bewildering and shocking I have ever seen. We’re talking infidelity, swinging, ketamine therapy, divorces, pregnancy test roulette, and trips to Chippendales – and all these women are moms. 

The funny thing is, pickleball even makes an appearance in both seasons.


The MomTok women all live in Provo, UT, which is a major pickleball hub. Dozens of pickleball pros live there, including Callie Smith, Allyce Jones, Tyler Loong, and Alli Phillips. 

In season one, episode 7 titled “The Book of Trust,” the women stay at a house during their memorable girls trip to Vegas, and there is a pickleball court in the backyard. 

Mikayla calls herself a ping pong champion as she and Mayci go against Layla and Demi. Though, it’s extremely windy and the girls definitely blame a few bad hits on the wind (I do the same, even when it’s barely windy). 

And we get to see a competitive side to Mikayla as she speeds up at Layla with a little extra ferocity. I would love to see the extended cut of this encounter because it seems a little spicier than a friendly game to simply blow off some steam. 

But it was clear that the outfits did not make the players. Layla and Demi were the better dressed team in adorable tennis skirts, but it they were obviously beginners. Layla even used an overhead serve. Sigh. 

Meanwhile, Mikayla and Maycie dressed a lot more casually with leggings and sweatshirts, and had to explain the rules to the girls. 

Maycie might be the most active pickleball player of the group because by season 2, she was invited to host a celebrity pickleball event at the Arizona Athletic Grounds where the Carvana PPA Mesa Cup is held every year.


In season 2, episode 6 titled “The Book of Redemption,” Maycie hosts the event and the other MomTok girls, including Taylor, Miranda, Whitney, Layla, Demi, Jessi, and Mikayla, attend to show their support and dink around. 

As the event host, Maycie wore an adorable red sweatsuit.

“It’s so cool to see this full circle moment because she was a BYU tennis athlete and now she’s hosting this event. She’s really in her element. Being a star athlete, then turning that into hosting an event like this is so exciting and inspiring,” said Jessi. 

The event was a short lived blip for the women, supporting Mayci and enjoying the camaraderie of pickleball. But of course right after, the girls went to dinner and a major fight broke out. 


I really think these women need to start taking their aggression out on the pickleball court. Someone put Mikayla and Mayci vs. Whitney and Taylor and tell me it wouldn’t be a riveting watch. How about Jessi vs. Demi in a messy game of singles. The drama would be too good. 

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