Los Angeles Mad Drops Stun Dallas Flash: The Los Angeles Mad Drops defeated the Dallas Flash in a thrilling DreamBreaker finish on Sunday, July 27, at Pickler Universe in Carrollton, Texas. After dropping a close match the day before, Los Angeles bounced back to win 21-18 in singles, wrapping up their regular season with an 18-7 record.
Dallas led 6-0 in the final tiebreaker, but Los Angeles used their strong singles lineup—Hunter Johnson, Ben Johns, and Catherine Parenteau—to fight back. The Mad Drops’ comeback win prevented the Flash from improving their playoff seeding. Dallas now ends the regular season at 22-3.
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Strong Start by Los Angeles Doubles
Ben Johns, recently traded from the Carolina Hogs, played a big part in the Mad Drops’ win. He and Hunter Johnson won the men’s doubles match. Later, Johns teamed up with Catherine Parenteau to take the first mixed doubles game.
This gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead heading into the second mixed doubles match. Hunter Johnson and Jade Kawamoto seemed ready to seal the victory when they went up 10-5.
Flash Force DreamBreaker
But Tyra Hurricane Black and Augie Ge from the Dallas Flash made a huge comeback. They saved two match points and won the game, tying the match at 2-2 and forcing a DreamBreaker—Major League Pickleball’s singles tiebreaker format.
Dallas started strong in the DreamBreaker, quickly jumping to a 6-0 lead. However, the Mad Drops kept calm and slowly gained momentum. With top singles players like Ben Johns, Hunter Johnson, and Catherine Parenteau, they closed the match with a 21-18 win.
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Players React to the Win
Ben Johns praised his teammates and said their partnerships are improving.
“I think Hunter and I are getting more comfortable as well as Catherine and me, so I’m super happy with those matches and was happy with the performances in the other ones from my teammates,”.
“Hunter and Jade almost had it in that fourth match, and then in the DreamBreaker, we were down a little bit, but we muscled through and buckled down and got it done.”(Ben Johns)
What This Means for the Playoffs
For the Dallas Flash, this loss matters more than just a number in the standings. They needed a win to challenge the St. Louis Shock for the No. 1 playoff seed. Without it, they will stay behind in the final rankings.
For the Los Angeles Mad Drops, the win won’t change their place much. They are set to finish between sixth and eighth in the standings, but the victory gives them momentum heading into the playoffs.
News in Brief: Los Angeles Mad Drops Stun Dallas Flash
The Los Angeles Mad Drops ended their regular season with a DreamBreaker win over the Dallas Flash, thanks to strong singles play by Ben Johns, Hunter Johnson, and Catherine Parenteau. Despite falling behind, the Mad Drops rallied to win 21-18 and impact Dallas’ playoff hopes.
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