St. Louis Shock Surges to Top Spot: The 2025 MLP Austin tournament brought heat, humidity, and strong pickleball action with five teams competing in a round robin format. The key to success this season lies with the women’s doubles teams.
The best women’s doubles pairs are from Dallas Flash, New Jersey 5s, and St. Louis Shock. Dallas features Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black, New Jersey has Anna Leigh Waters and Meghan Dizon, and St. Louis fields Anna Bright and Kate Fahey. These three teams hold the top spots and are the strongest contenders for the championship.
Following them, Texas Ranchers’ Etta Tuionetoa and Tina Pisnik rank fourth. Columbus Sliders’ Lea Jansen and Parris Todd, along with Brooklyn Pickleball Team’s Rachel Rohrabacher and Jackie Kawamoto, round out the fifth and sixth spots. At the bottom of the women’s doubles rankings are New York Hustlers’ Dominique Schaefer and Lingwei Kong, and SoCal Hard Eights’ Judit Castillo and Irina Tereschenko.
Men’s Doubles Play Important Role but Women Lead
While Major League Pickleball has many skilled men’s doubles teams, and players like Will Howells and Augie Ge have been key to New Jersey and Dallas’ success, it is the quality of the women’s doubles teams that truly drives the league. The women’s doubles teams are considered the “straw that stirs the drink” when it comes to overall team performance.
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St. Louis Takes the Lead Without Playing
A surprising highlight from the Austin event is St. Louis taking the lead in points per match for the season without playing a single match. Dallas earned 10 points from four matches, but St. Louis now sits at the top.
The race for first place is expected to go back and forth throughout the season between St. Louis and Dallas. Both teams are likely to finish as the top two in the regular season, which will give them an easier path in the playoffs. New Jersey looks set to finish third, making the competition for the top spots one to watch closely.
News in Brief: St. Louis Shock Surges to Top Spot
2025 MLP Austin featured five teams, with women’s doubles ranking proving crucial. Dallas, New Jersey, and St. Louis have the best women’s teams. St. Louis leads the season’s points per match without playing at Austin. The battle between St. Louis and Dallas for the top spot will continue all season.
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