
Los Angeles closes out regular season with DreamBreaker win over Dallas
Just a day after being on the losing end of one of the best matches in Major League Pickleball history, the Los Angeles Mad Drops (18-7, 49pts) rebounded with a DreamBreaker victory over the Dallas Flash (22-3, 71pts).
Ben Johns, who joined the squad last week after a landmark trade with the Carolina Hogs, picked up wins with Hunter Johnson in men’s doubles and Catherine Parenteau in mixed doubles to give the Mad Drops a 2-1 advantage going into the second mixed doubles game.
It looked like Jade Kawamoto/Hunter Johnson would close out the regulation victory when they got up 10-5, but the Flash’s Tyra Black/Augie Ge saved two match points and came all the way back to force a DreamBreaker.
Dallas jumped out to a 6-0 lead in that singles contest, but Los Angeles—who has three top ten-ranked singles players in Johnson, Johns, and Parenteau—rallied to prevail by a 21-18 score line.
“I think Hunter and I are getting more comfortable as well as Catherine and me, so I’m super happy with those matches and was happy with the performances in the other ones from my teammates,” Johns said afterwards. “Hunter and Jade almost had it in that fourth match, and then in the DreamBreaker, we were down a little bit, but we muscled through and buckled down and got it done.”
In terms of playoff positioning, this result means more for the Flash than it does for the Mad Drops. Dallas needed to win to have a shot at overtaking the St. Louis Shock for the top seed heading into the postseason, and Los Angeles will finish no better than 6th and no worse than 8th place.
The Mad Drops’ final positioning will depend on how the Texas Ranchers (11-9, 36pts) and Orlando Squeeze (12-8, 34pts) perform at next week’s MLP Salt Lake City, the final event of the regular season.
Related articles

Allison Phillips’ brother Danny turns pro, creates rising sibling duo on tour
She’s thrilled to see him step onto the big stage alongside her.
1 day ago
-Victoria Radnothy
Soundtrack of the court: How music fuels the tournament experience
AV lead Gage Sepulveda blends player preferences and crowd energy to craft the perfect in-match atmosphere.
3 days ago
-Victoria Radnothy

Race to the Finals Update: Mixed doubles coming down to the wire
The upcoming Slam in Atlanta is the final opportunity for players to earn points to qualify for the PPA Tour Finals.
3 days ago
-Will Daughton

Palm Beach Royals bring Boca Surge under umbrella as Palm Beach Royals Champions
For the first time ever, an MLP team is joining forces with an MLP Champions Series team.
4 days ago
-Pickleball.com Staff