Top 3 overall storylines, plus a bonus:

• Will the top two seeds, the New Jersey Fives (1) and the St. Louis Shock (2) continue their high level play (winners of the last 5 events combined) and clash in the final? 

• The Columbus Sliders made a huge splash with the Hurricane Tyra Black acquisition - is this the week it starts to pay big dividends?

• Will the defending champion Dallas Flash, with their new look lineup, or another lower seed, make an unexpected run to the semifinals or beyond?

• Will any of the invitees pull off an upset (Team Europe, Team Canada, Team Australia, or the College All-Stars)?

One tidbit, one stat, and one player to watch per MLP team, in seed order:

New Jersey Fives (1):

Tidbit: They have won 3 events in a row. 

Stat: Will Howells and Noe Khlif have just the 8th best men’s doubles record at 13-9. 

Player to watch: Anna Leigh Waters. She’s #1 overall, undefeated with Jorja Johnson, and 42-2 in her overall games. Can she lead the clowns to a midseason title?

St. Louis Shock (2):

Tidbit: After a slow start (for them), they are brimming with confidence winning two straight events themselves (the Fives and Shock have not be at the same event over the last 4).

Stat: Four of the top six individual winning percentages belong to the Shock (Tardio (2), Fahey (4), Patriquin (5), and Bright (6))

Player to watch: Kate Fahey. She has been clutch at crunch time – will her play be the difference in the Shock securing the mid-season tourney title?

Los Angeles Mad Drops (3):

Tidbit: Have placed first in their group in all 3 events (and won the first event of the year in Dallas).

Stat: Catherine Parenteau and Jade Kawamoto are just 9-8 on the season. 

Player to watch: Ben Johns. Can he put the team on his back like he did in Dallas and take the Mad Drops to the title?

Brooklyn Pickleball Team (4):

Tidbit: After not playing in the first 2 events, they have been very consistent, with two 3rd place finishes and a 2nd at home in the last event. 

Stat: As the “singles specialist”, Chris Haworth went 8-4 in their lone DreamBreaker, a 23-21 thriller win over Dallas.   

Player to watch: Riley Newman. He’s their highest ranked individual player at 20-5. Will his play and energy be the difference for a title run for Brooklyn?

Columbus Sliders (5):

Tidbit: Made the big trade, sending out Danni-Elle Townsend to Dallas for Hurricane Tyra Black, but then finished a disappointing 5th in St. Petersburg. 

Stat: No players in the top 10 of individual winning percentage.

Player to watch: CJ Klinger. Yes, all eyes will be on HTB, but Klinger is the key for this team to find its 2025 form and win the mid-season title. 

Palm Beach Royals (6):

Tidbit: Have finished 4th twice and 5th twice despite the musical chairs for the men in their lineup. 

Stat: Sofia Sewing and Tina Pisnik have been sparkling, going 18-4 with wins over Bright and Fahey and Todd and Black to name a couple. 

Player to watch: Casey Diamond. Added via waivers but just 7-11 so far. Will he be a difference maker or will the vets McGuffin and Bar be healthy enough to be the keys to Palm Beach victories?

Texas Ranchers (7):

Tidbit: Secured their marquee win by beating the Fives in New York, but a tiebreaker kept them from the top spot in the Group Standings. 

Stat: Nico Acevedo is 19-14 with Texas since the big Dylan Frazier trade. 

Player to watch: Kaitlin Christian. Went .500 in her return to the Ranchers after the trade necessitated by the Layne Sleeth injury. Can she be the difference in multiple upsets, especially in a DreamBreaker? 

Dallas Flash (8):

Tidbit: Defending champs have neither woman (Black or Johnson) who helped them to the title in Grand Rapids in 2025. 

Stat: JW Johnson is just 18-14 on the season. 

Player to watch: Danni-Elle Townsend. What a debut for the Flash in NY, going 9-3. Can the Aussie inspire the Flash back into the mix for a top 3 finish?

Las Vegas Night Owls (9):

Tidbit: Have used their entire roster throughout the season to date but may dial in set pairings (at least the men) after trading out Blaine Hovenier. 

Stat: Zoey Wang (12-9) is the only Night Owl over .500 on the season. 

Player to watch: Roscoe Bellamy. Can he be the stabilizing force with the youngster Clayton Powell added to the lineup to help them find some wins in Grand Rapids?

SoCal Hard Eights (10):

Tidbit: After just one point in their first event, they secured 12 in Austin and 8 in New York to put them above the cut line for the playoffs. 

Stat: Armaan Bhatia leads their individual records within the team at 14-13. 

Player to watch: Cailyn Campbell. So much potential and getting more comfortable on the left in women’s doubles. Can she find the next gear for the dice to pull some upsets in Michigan?

Orlando Squeeze (11):

Tidbit: Earned just one point in St. Petersburg, thus their lower than expected seed at the mid-season tournament.  

Stat: Staksrud and Sock were 8-3, but have lost 3 of their last 4 and now sit at 9-6 on the season. 

Player to watch: Lacy Schneemann. If high ceiling Lacy Schneemann is on display in Michigan, she could be the difference for multiple wins over higher seeds.

Utah Black Diamonds (12):

Tidbit: With 16 points in 3 events, they hold the last playoff spot heading into the mid season tourney. 

Stat: Zero individual players above .500. 

Player to watch: Connor Garnett. Was removed from the lineup for a match but then jumped back in and has the upside potential to lead his team to a few wins in Grand Rapids. 

Chicago Slice (13):

Tidbit: Made a trade with the future in mind, bringing in Elsie Hendershot and John Lucian Goins and shipping out Hunter Johnson and Mari Humberg. 

Stat: Jamie Wei has been money in DreamBreakers, winning 11 of 16 points as the Slice are 2-0 in bonus pickleball. 

Player to watch: Elsie Hendershot. The 13 year-old fan favorite continues to gain valuable reps - will those reps lead to victories?

Atlanta Bouncers (14):

Tidbit: Mari Humberg slots in next to Jessie Irvine post trade, giving them a veteran laden lineup. 

Stat: Jay Devilliers and Jaume Martinez Vich are 9th overall with an 8-6 record in men’s doubles. 

Player to watch: Mari Humberg. New addition could be just what the doctor ordered for Atlanta to bounce a higher seed. 

Florida Smash (15):

Tidbit: After earning just 1 point in front of their raucous home crowd in St. Pete, they had their best showing in New York, earning 6 standings points. 

Stat: Connor Mogle was added to the roster and went 5-3, now toting the best winning percentage on the team. 

Player to watch: Mogle. Is he the difference to help this team find a win or two in Michigan?

California Black Bears (16):

Tidbit: Have only played in 2 events, earning 6 points in their second outing. 

Stat: Have just 3 wins in 10 matches so far in 2026. 

Player to watch: Sahra Dennehy. Returns back to the states after winning women’s doubles at PPA Tour Asia - can that confidence carry over to MLP?

Miami Pickleball Club (17):

Tidbit: Potentially dangerous DreamBreaker team due to all of their transactions (Ford, Frazier, Dunlap, Fujiwara). 

Stat: Have won just 4 of 15 matches on the season. 

Player to watch: Dylan Frazier. Can he help produce some wins (while also showcasing why a top team should potentially trade for him)?

Bay Area Breakers (18):

Tidbit: Blaine Hovenier brought in via trade gives the Breakers another solid MLP vet to pair with Pablo Tellez or Len Yang. 

Stat: Blaine Hovenier went 3-4 in his debut event after being acquired in a trade with the Night Owls. 

Player to watch: Pablo Tellez. The veteran has played against the best players on the biggest stages - can he raise his level to find a win or two for the Breakers in MI? 

Phoenix Flames (19):

Tidbit: Have played just two matches this season, and none since St. Louis a month ago.

Stat: Cam Chaffin has the #2 winning percentage in DreamBreaker points in the entire league at 10-2. 

Player to watch: Jonathan Truong. The talented high draft pick could be the key to a Flames upset victory. 

Carolina Hogs (20):

Tidbit: Have won just 2 matches in 2026, one of which was their upset win over Palm Beach in New York. 

Stat: Have the worst plus/minus of points played in the league at -265. 

Player to watch: Abbi Hatton. One of the constants in a roster that has had consistent turnover - can she lead them to a win in Grand Rapids?