The Dallas Flash have made history by winning two Major League Pickleball (MLP) events in back-to-back weeks, with their latest victory coming in Chicago. This win has significant implications for the MLP playoff race, which is heating up as the regular season comes to a close.
The Flash's victory in Chicago was marked by a thrilling matchup against the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, which ultimately ended in a 21-10 win for Dallas in the Dreambreaker. The match was closely contested, with Alix Truong and Danni Townsend beating Jackie Kawamoto and Hannah Blatt 11-4 in women's doubles, and Riley Newman and Christian Alshon evening things up for Brooklyn with an 11-7 win over JW Johnson and Augie Ge. However, the Flash's Danni and Augie ultimately clinched the win with an 11-2 victory over Riley and Jackie in mixed doubles.
Updated Playoff Picture
With one week left in the MLP regular season, the playoff picture is becoming clearer. The Dallas Flash have earned 25 points for their second straight event win, bringing their total standings points to 72 and securing sixth place in both total points and points per event. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team has earned 18 points and will be looking to make a strong showing in Orlando to stay in contention.
Other teams are also making moves in the playoff race. The California Black Bears made a surge in Chicago, thanks in part to the leadership of Martin Emmrich, who served as Captain/Coach for the weekend. The Black Bears traded for several new players, including Pablo Tellez, Dylan Frazier, Zoey Weil, Jalina Ingram, and Emmrich, and were able to earn 15 standings points and double their previous total from three events.
The Chicago Slice also overperformed expectations, despite low expectations heading into the event. The team traded for young talent, including Emma Nelson, John Lucian Goins, and Elsie Hendershot, and were able to beat several strong teams, including the Atlanta Bouncers, Las Vegas Night Owls, and SoCal Hard 8s. However, they ultimately fell to the California Black Bears on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Utah Black Diamonds were eliminated from playoff contention, despite having some good results earlier in the season. The team traded away Connor Garnett and acquired Yuta Funemizu, but were unable to find their groove and finished fourth in their group three events in a row.
The LAS Vegas Night Owls and Orlando Squeeze also fell out of playoff contention, with the Night Owls having a inconsistent event in Chicago and the Squeeze dropping two places in the standings despite not playing in Chicago. Both teams will need strong showings in Orlando to get back into the playoff picture.
The final regular season event, MLP Orlando, is just around the corner, and it will be a crucial moment for teams looking to make a last-minute push for the playoffs. With several teams still in contention, it's shaping up to be an exciting finish to the regular season.
