Top 3 overall storylines in Dallas:

• After their trade for Ben Johns, are the Los Angeles Mad Drops the new favorite? They will have a chance to show their pedigree in Dallas with matches against the Shock, Ranchers, 5s, and Flash. 

• Is Noe Khlif the difference maker for the New Jersey 5s after the Frenchman was acquired from Miami? 

• After dropping their first two matches of the year in St. Louis (to the Sliders and Shock), will the Dallas Flash ride the home court advantage and Flash Mob mentality to finish the regular season on a high note?

Storylines per Premier team participating in Dallas:

Carolina Hogs (5 wins, 14 losses, 17 standings points, 11^th place in points/match): Their new roster debuts in Dallas with the additions of Dallas locals Brandon French and Ivan Jakovljevic. By trading Ben Johns and Etta Tuionetoa, their playoff chances are minimal in their final regular season event of the year. 

Dallas Flash (16-2, 53 points, 2^nd place): Can their dominant women’s duo (Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black) re-find the height of their powers in Dallas after a couple of stumbles in St. Louis? The Flash’s regular season ends in Big D. 

Los Angeles Mad Drops (14-5, 37 points, 6^th place): With 6 matches to go, can they find chemistry quickly with the goat (Johns) on the roster and maintain 6^th place (or better), which will help them avoid the play-in round of the playoffs? This is their final regular season event. 

New Jersey 5s (12-3, 38 points, 3^rd place) – Will captain Zane Navratil be relegated permanently to the bench with the Khlif acquisition? And will the opponent-dependent mix and match of Meghan Dizon and Mari Humberg continue as was seen at the Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids? Their season will conclude in Utah.

NY Hustlers (3-16, 8 points, 16^th place): After a good win over Utah in Grand Rapids, can they find some carry over and avoid last place? And who will be in the lineup? The Hustlers season will close in Dallas, out of the playoffs.

Phoenix Flames (4-15, 13 points, 14^th place): Can the Flames literally be the Phoenix rising from the bottom of the standings and pull a few upsets and make the playoffs? And who is playing (Genie Bouchard is again out playing tennis)? This is their final regular season event.

SoCal Hard 8s (3-16, 12 points, 15^th place): The energy from Blaine Hovenier and Ryan Fu combined with the youthful exuberance of teenagers Cailyn Campbell and Jalina Ingram make this a very fun 15^th place team to watch. They are gaining invaluable reps – can they get some wins in Big D before their season comes to an end?

St. Louis Shock (18-1, 58 points, 1^st place): They got out the Shock & Awe brooms and swept their opponents at their home arena, going 5-0 in the process and shooting to the top spot in the standings. Without the home court, can they hold that #1 position in their last regular season event in Dallas?

Texas Ranchers (8-6, 27 points, 7^th place): The debut of Kaitlyn Christian in a Ranchers uniform in Grand Rapids showed promise – can this team find some mojo in their home state and possibly leap a team or two in the standings by the end of the season? They have played the least amount of matches (14) to date and will conclude their regular season in Utah. 

5 Premier teams not playing in Dallas, but completing their season in Utah: 

Atlanta Bouncers, Chicago Slice, Miami Pickleball Club, Orlando Squeeze, and Utah Black Diamonds.  

2 Premier teams not playing in Dallas (and their regular season is complete): 

The Brooklyn Pickleball Team and Columbus Sliders have finished their 25 regular season matches and currently sit 4^th and 5^th respectively in the standings (points/match). Will those spots hold up when all the teams have completed their schedules?  

NOTE: NO Challenger teams will be competing – they will complete their regular season in Utah.

Marquee matchups:

• Saturday, July 26th @ 3:30pm Central: LA Mad Drops vs. New Jersey 5s: Ben Johns with his new team vs. Anna Leigh Waters and the 5s – will they play against each other in mixed? 

• Sunday, July 27th @ 2:30pm Central: LA Mad Drops vs. Dallas Flash: Possible playoff preview, with the new look Mad Drops playing the hometown defending champs in the Flash. 

• Sunday, July 27th @ 4:15pm Central: St. Louis Shock vs. New Jersey 5s: In their last regular season match of the season, who will take this star-studded affair?

Location/times:

• Pickler Universe - Carrollton: 2800 N Interstate 35E, Carrollton, TX, 75007 (indoor event).

• Play on Championship Court starts at noon Central on July 24-26, with an 11am start on July 27. 

• Catch the action on Pickleballtv.