MLP Mid-Season Tournament Highlights: The Edward Jones Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament, presented by DoorDash, ended with the Dallas Flash winning the Premier division and the Las Vegas Night Owls winning the Challenger division. The tournament, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, featured all 16 Premier and six Challenger teams, bringing intense action and major surprises.
Dallas Flash Continues Their Winning Streak
The Dallas Flash stayed undefeated in 2025, following their Major League Pickleball 2024 title with a dominant run. Dallas had a first-round bye, then beat the Orlando Squeeze 3-1. In the semifinals, they defeated the Columbus Sliders 3-1, after dropping only the women’s doubles match 11-9.
In the final, the Flash faced the St. Louis Shock, who had also received a first-round bye. St. Louis beat the SoCal Hard Eights 3-1 and shut out the Texas Ranchers 3-0 to reach the final.
The Dallas vs. St. Louis final had been highly anticipated. Dallas started strong with an 11-3 win in women’s doubles. Hayden Patriquin and Gabriel Tardio answered for St. Louis with an 11-4 men’s doubles win. Dallas took the lead again in mixed doubles. In the second mixed match, Tyra Hurricane Black and Augustus Ge reached match point, but Gabriel Tardio and Kate Fahey tied it at 10-10. A pair of putaways by Tyra Black sealed the match 12-10, giving Dallas a 3-1 victory.
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Las Vegas Wins Challenger Division
The Las Vegas Night Owls claimed the Challenger title, edging past the Nashville Chefs in a close DreamBreaker final. Both teams were top seeds and had led the Challenger level all year. Their final match went down to the wire, with Las Vegas winning 22-20 in the DreamBreaker. Fans expect to see them face off again in future finals.
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Big Upsets and Standout Performances
The Miami Pickleball Club pulled off a surprise win over the LA Mad Drops in the first round of the Premier bracket. LA had been a top team earlier in the season but struggled recently. Their situation got worse after Quang Duong’s contract was ended by the United Pickleball Association, leaving a key gap in their lineup.
Miami took advantage and won the match 3-2. They later challenged the New Jersey 5s and picked up another win in the consolation round. Even without Jay Devilliers, Miami played well thanks to Yuta Funemizu. The Japanese soft tennis star filled in and helped Noe Khlif defeat Zane Navratil and Will Howells in mixed doubles. Funemizu’s unique playing style made a big impression and showed he has great potential in pickleball.
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The Texas Ranchers also had a solid showing. They finished fourth and nearly beat the New Jersey 5s in the third-place match. Texas recently added Kaitlyn Christian, and her presence gave the team new energy. They upset Columbus in the consolation bracket and lost both gender doubles matches to New Jersey by just two points. Their improvement makes them a serious threat moving forward.
Looking Ahead to MLP St. Louis
The next stop for Major League Pickleball is St. Louis. The event is expected to be one of the best of the season, with top teams like the Dallas Flash, St. Louis Shock, Columbus Sliders, and Brooklyn Aces all competing. Every team will play each other, including a Dallas vs. St. Louis rematch.
Dallas and St. Louis are close to securing byes for the playoffs. But Columbus, New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Texas are all chasing them. With all six top teams so evenly matched, every match could swing the playoff race. The rest of the season promises to be full of surprises and close contests.
News in Brief: MLP Mid-Season Tournament Highlights
The Edward Jones MLP Mid-Season Tournament wrapped up in Grand Rapids with the Dallas Flash winning the Premier title and the Las Vegas Night Owls winning the Challenger division. Big upsets by Miami and Texas made headlines, and all eyes now turn to the upcoming MLP St. Louis event.
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