The Major League Pickleball (MLP) is set to return to New York City, with the sixth event of the 2026 MLP Season taking place at SPORTIME Randall’s Island from Thursday, June 25th. This event promises to be exciting, with several storylines to watch, including the performance of the two New York/New Jersey teams and the impact of recent trades and waivers on team dynamics.
Top Storylines and Teams to Watch
The MLP New York event will feature two pools of teams, with Group A consisting of the Chicago Slice, Las Vegas Night Owls, New Jersey 5s, SoCal Hard Eights, and Texas Ranchers, and Group B comprising the Bay Area Breakers, Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Carolina Hogs, Dallas Flash, Florida Smash, and Palm Beach Royals. Some of the top storylines to watch include the potential championship matchup between the two New York/New Jersey teams, the impact of recent trades and waivers on team performance, and the question marks surrounding the two Texas-based teams, Dallas and Texas. The Dallas team has recently brought in Danni and Alix, while the Texas team has been dealing with an injury to Layne and has brought in Rafa and KK.
A quick look at each team's roster reveals some exciting matchups and potential challenges. In Group A, the New Jersey 5s boast a strong roster with Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson, while the SoCal Hard Eights have Meghan Dizon and Armaan Bhatia. In Group B, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team has Riley Newman and Christian Alshon, while the Carolina Hogs feature Brandon French and DJ Young. The Dallas Flash has recently added Danni-Elle Townsend and Alix Truong to their roster, which could potentially shake up the team's dynamics.
The weather forecast for the event looks promising, except for a 60% chance of rain on Saturday, which could impact play. The humidity levels are expected to be high, making the conditions challenging for players. The ball is expected to move slower than it did in the previous indoor event in St. Petersburg.
To catch all the action, fans can tune in to the PickleballTV schedule, with additional coverage on Tennis Channel and MSG Network on Sunday, June 28th. With the teams and players ready to go, this event is shaping up to be an exciting one, with plenty of storylines to watch and matches to look forward to.
Here is a list of the teams and their rosters:
- Chicago Slice: Zane Navratil, Jamie Wei, Elsie Hendershot, Jalina Ingram, and John Lucian Goins
- Las Vegas Night Owls: Roscoe Bellamy, Zoey Wang, Liz Truluck, Callie Smith, Braden Jacobson, and Clayton Powell
- New Jersey 5s: Anna Leigh Waters, Jorja Johnson, Noe Khlif, Will Howells, Martin Emmrich, and Lina Padegimaite
- SoCal Hard Eights: Meghan Dizon, Armaan Bhatia, Cailyn Campbell, Will Mackinnon, Rafa Lenhard, and Naomi Nguyen
- Texas Ranchers: Eric Oncins, Lea Jansen, Layne Sleeth, Nico Acevedo, Rafa Hewett, and Kaitlyn Christian
- Bay Area Breakers: Pablo Tellez, Genie Erokhina, Blaine Hovenier, Len Yang, Mya Bui, and Ella Yeh
- Brooklyn Pickleball Team: Riley Newman, Christian Alshon, Jackie Kawamoto, Rachel Rohrabacher, Chris Haworth, and Hannah Blatt
- Carolina Hogs: Brandon French, DJ Young, Aiko Yoshitomi, Abbi Hatton, Michael Loyd, and Nicole Conard
- Dallas Flash: JW Johnson, Danni-Elle Townsend, Alix Truong, Augie Ge, Brooke Buckner, and Ivan Jakovljevic
- Florida Smash: Martina Frantova, Cason Campbell, Paula Rives, Chris Crouch, Zoey Weil, and Connor Mogle
- Palm Beach Royals: Sofia Sewing, Tyson McGuffin, Dekel Bar, Tina Pisnik, Tammy Emmrich, and Casey Diamond
With the stage set for an exciting event, fans can look forward to some thrilling matches and unexpected twists. Will the New York/New Jersey teams dominate, or will other teams rise to the challenge? The MLP New York event is sure to be an unforgettable experience for players and fans alike.
