Top 3 overall storylines:

• Can the Dallas Flash get off to a good start in defense of their 2024 Championship?

• What will be the impact of the “break up” of Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau (Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher, too) when their teams face each other?

• How will the scoring change from rally to side out (Dreambreaker remains intact) impact match results?

Storylines per team:

Atlanta Bouncers: Will Victoria DiMuzio live up to the offseason hype? The Canadian is labeled by some as the next female to break into the top tier – how will she fare in the cauldron of MLP? The Bouncers are one of 4 teams (also Chicago, Miami, SoCal) moving up from Challenger to Premier – will any of the 4 make the playoffs?

Brooklyn Pickleball Team: Does the team rally around Rachel Rohrabacher, especially in the showdown with the Shock on Sunday in Orlando? And how do the veteran fellas gel as Ignatowich was dropped and former DC player Riley Newman was brough back into the fold?

Carolina Hogs: Will Ben and Collin Johns reach top form in MLP in 2025? When they last played together, they won the first Slam of the year on the PPA Tour at the Masters. And will Tammy Emmrich prove to be a good pickup for the team with the new name, playing, to use their term, “piggle ball”? 

Chicago Slice: This pizza has all new toppings – will the investment pay off? Four new players were acquired and significant money was spent in the free agency draft (James Ignatowich, Max Freeman, Vivienne David, Callie Smith). Can they gel? And can Big Poppa Jimmy lead this team to the playoffs?

Columbus Sliders: Will their shrewd trades slide this team to the top of the standings? Can a talented team on paper, featuring two of the hottest players on the PPA Tour in Andrei Daescu and Parris Todd, translate PPA gold to MLP success?

Dallas Flash: Does Augie “Gladiator” Ge return to his peak MLP form to match the golden results JW/Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black have shown on the PPA Tour in 2025?

LA Mad Drops: How does the pace of the Quang Duong/Hunter Johnson partnership fare in doubles in an MLP match? And what’s Catherine Parenteau’s mindset in her first competition since the split with Anna Leigh Waters?

Miami Pickleball Club: Who won the huge trade with the Ranchers? Noe Khlif for Eric Oncins. Can Noe prove that Miami (which knows both players very well) got the better player in the deal? And how much French will be spoken on the court with Jay Devilliers who has something to prove as he’s back and fully healthy after an injury-marred end of 2024? And Mya Bui…is she the next female to burst on the scene like Rohrabacher and Fahey?

New Jersey 5s: Can Meghan Dizon find her best level with the pressure of playing next to Anna Leigh Waters? She won a title with the Seattle Pioneers in 2023 but did not play mixed with Ben Johns on that team so she didn’t face that scrutiny. Does Waters come out firing after dropping a couple of matches in North Carolina at the last Carvana PPA Tour stop?

New York Hustlers: After dropping everyone, can the swing for the fences work? And can Zane Ford and Donald Young (a team that is likely to have a wide range of outcomes) bring up their floors to match the pace and athleticism that they are known for?

Orlando Squeeze: Can Samantha Parker meet the moment? Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier, and Lacy Schneemann comprise 75% of the team, with proven pro results across the board. What does Parker’s play look like, especially with the added pressure of playing at home in front of Squeeze nation?

Phoenix Flames: How will “Team Showtime” perform on the 20 by 44? This team will be “must- see TV” with the big drawing power of Jack Sock, Genie Bouchard, Tyson McGuffin, and Jessie Irvine. But can their play get them to the playoffs?

SoCal Hard 8s: Which 2 of the 3 gentlemen (Ryan Fu, Blaine Hovenier, Ivan Jakovljevic) will step up to form the backbone of the Hard 8s as they move up from Challenger? And does Irina Tereschenko have any magic rolls of the dice left from her past MLP heroics?

St. Louis Shock: Will this team live up to the hype? They are arguably the most talented team on paper. They paid to get the first pick in the free agency draft to run it back with Kate Fahey. Will they race out of the gates to the top of the standings at the end of Orlando?

Texas Ranchers: Can Christian Alshon and Eric Oncins get along in MLP? It’s been testy on the court in a few key moments on the PPA tour. With final 4 upside, can this team find the necessary chemistry to stack wins?

Utah Black Diamonds: What happens with the females? New Black Diamond Allyce Jones will be paired with either Mehvish Safdar or Genie Erokhina. Can they provide enough support to a very solid men’s duo in Connor Garnett and Tyler Loong?

Marquee matchups:

- Saturday night pickleball (home team feature): Orlando Squeeze vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team (5:30 PM Eastern)
- Break up Sunday: Brooklyn Pickleball Team vs. St. Louis Shock (11 AM Eastern) and
New Jersey 5s vs. LA Mad Drops (2:30 PM Eastern)
- Sunday Night Pickleball: St. Louis Shock vs. New Jersey 5s (4:15 PM Eastern)

Location/times:

- USTA National Campus (where the Dallas Flash were crowned Champions in 2024)
- Play starts at 2pm on Thursday 4/24, 11am on Friday 4/25 and Saturday 4/26, and 10am on Sunday 4/27

Special event:

- Court Crossover – 6pm Thursday April 24: Orlando Magic NBA legends jump on the pickleball court with members of the Orlando Squeeze. Expected to play: Brandon Bass, Rashard Lewis, Terrence Ross, and E’Twuan Moore.