MLP Orlando Recap

Whether I prefer MLP or PPAs is a regular question for me, and I never really know what to say. The word “prefer” is so unspecific, there are so many nuances to both that make them both great in their own ways.

I have, of course, always been on a great MLP team, but I don’t think that’s entirely luck. I’ve been very involved in the drafts of every team I’ve been on, and I’ve drafted quite well. It pays to be a nerd and to watch a lot of pickleball! If I had spent a lot of time on mediocre to poor teams, my thoughts on the matter would probably be quite different.

MLP Orlando demonstrated that there is really no higher high than a competitive MLP match with a lot on the line. This week DELIVERED. Everything was electric. It was a blast to be on center court, it was a blast to be in the stands, it was just a blast to be a part of an event that felt special and significant and memorable. A lot of PPAs lack that feeling, as there is always another one right around the corner, and your performance in one event really has no impact on your performance, attendance, or standing in the next. This was NOT the case in Orlando, where almost every team was playing for something.

There is just something so special about the team format and the buy-in from invested players, ownership groups, and fans. Things happen that just simply would not at a PPA. There is so much CINEMA. MLP produces moments that PPAs can’t, and there is no higher high as a player.

You guys are probably sick of hearing me praise Elsie, but I legitimately was SO PROUD of her when she clinched the Dreambreaker for her team. Can you imagine coming in at 22-22?! And she was down 7-1 I believe at that point to Zoey Weil. Zane even shared that she was CRYING after her second rotation.

The Slice have been splitting time between Elsie and their third woman (originally Jalina Ingram and now Emma Nelson), and I am very glad that with their season on the line they chose to go with Elsie in their two biggest matches. There’s just something really special about a team knowing what they need to do and getting it done. Bravo to the Slice.

Elsie gets talked about a lot (as she should), but the other members of the Slice don’t get enough praise IMO. John has been playing some incredible ball and has been BEYOND clutch in Dreambreakers at the #1 position. Yes, Elsie got the close, but it was John and Zane who largely made up for her being down 7-1 until her last rotation. John has clearly established himself as their #1 man, and things are clearly clicking for him as he gets more match reps and dials in his unconventional style, and I’m super happy for him.

Zane continues to establish himself as one of the very best captains and player/GMs in MLP. Everyone on that team wants to be there desperately and is entirely willing to leave it all out there. Slice ownership has not changed from 2025 to 2026, but the personnel, attitude, and fight has increased tenfold. Ownership has gone from watching their players joke about losing every Dreambreaker despite having a fairly talented lineup to watching them win them when they matter most. What a swing in a year’s time, and I fully believe Zane has led that charge.

Jamie has played amazingly for the Slice and watching her and Elsie play with so much joy has been incredible to see. It’s actually quite hilarious to me - a few events ago Jamie’s recap Instagram post after an event actually featured none of her teammates, and her most recent one featured everyone prominently and the caption even made me emotional. AJ also brings a veteran presence and seems to want to battle for this team more than any other team I’ve seen him on. Him and Elsie beating Dylan and Zoey as underdogs saved their season and it’s awesome to see him wanting it so badly. I would not want to face the Slice in the playoffs.

Anna Leigh and Noé pulled off 3 Houdini acts this weekend - winning 3 clutch matches in overtime against Dekel/Tina, Ben/Jade, and of course, myself and Hayden (RIP). She also came away with the regular season MVP award after only losing 4 matches all season. What makes her record even more impressive is that she usually played against the opposing #1 mixed team.

I was in contention for winning MVP again, and I could have promoted it here and on my other channels, but I didn’t simply because it wouldn’t feel right. I don’t deserve it, and no one did in comparison to Anna Leigh. The only reason she wouldn’t win this award or similar ones is voter fatigue- she has been that girl, is that girl, and will continue to be that girl. As her friend, I’m so happy for her, as her competition when she is in a clown uniform, it’s annoying AF🤡😭.

Noé probably doesn’t get enough credit for his role in their mixed wins, and I have to shout him out. He sees a far higher percentage of the balls than you’d expect a man to in a normal mixed match, and he has held up admirably under the pressure. I’ve grown very fond of Noé in the last few months as we have worked together in Brighter Pickleball, and his success is so deserved.

Perhaps the greatest display of Anna Leigh’s greatness this week is that in the matchup everyone was most excited about, Ben/Jade v AL/Noé, Ben actually hardly hit her the ball. For whatever reason, I found this validating. It has long frustrated me that a lot of men choose to hit the ball dead to AL rather than to her male partner (usually Ben) as if she is a normal woman. If I’ve played with you and you’re reading this, I’m not talking about you, of course❤️😉😂 (or maybe I am LOL).

Ben choosing to ice out AL even harder than Hayden and I did just shows how much he respects her. Of course, it goes beyond his evaluation of her and Noé’s level, hitting to Noé is much more predictable and allows him to more easily cover 80% of the court, which is what he wants. Since the 5s clinched the one seed, if the playoffs were to go entirely chalk and the top 4 seeds made it to the semis, I wonder if the 5s would choose LA or Columbus, and if we could see this GOAT v GOAT battle a few more times. Of course, expecting chalk in the playoffs feels foolish after last year.

Again, it feels foolish to expect the playoffs to go entirely as expected, but we don’t have to lie to ourselves - anything other than a 5s v Shock final would be unexpected. Both teams will need to play well and show up to make it to the ultimate match in NYC, but considering the talent on both rosters, not making it would be both surprising and disappointing.

I do not want to get too far ahead of myself, but we have played the 5s 4 times so far this year, and we are tied 2-2. Should we play in NYC, it will effectively be the completion of what will likely be the best BO7 matchup in pro pickleball history (assuming the floor/cap system gets implemented next year and roster talent is diluted and you’re looking at this from a level perspective).

It feels as if the 5s are about as favored in women’s doubles as the Shock are in men’s. Swinging either of those matches is key, and mixed 1 is clearly quite even (RIP). The 5s probably thought the addition of Federico would boost them more in MD than it has, but in mixed him and Jorja have been dominant. I wonder if they will try Noé and Fed in men’s in Newport? They must be considering it after he and Will went 0-2 against LA and us without either match being particularly close. We will need more from Gabe and Kate in mixed 2, but I think it was such an energy let down after H and I lost our 50 minute war. I think if we had won that mixed match, Mixed 2 would have looked way different. Maybe they wouldn’t have won but it definitely would’ve been more competitive. A lot to learn from.

My last thoughts on this matter: I was so locked in I actually didn’t even see Hayden dance. I also had no idea him and AL were going back and forth chirping so much. I thought AL was just chirping him to try to rile him up and make bad decisions. I was completely in my own world over there😂.

My last takeaway (I could keep writing, but I have things to do!!!) is that MLP is an indoor event. The product is so much better. It’s louder, it’s more electric, and as a player, you feel like a gladiator in an arena. Playing outside just is not the same. The court surface used on CC played great- there were almost no bad bounces, and even though the bounce was a hair low, it was excellent. I REALLY hope they use this surface in New York.

It’s a better experience for fans, players, and scheduling reliability. I think all events should be indoors in the future. A crowd of 2000+ people could not chant “ELSIE ELSIE ELSIE” so easily outdoors, and it would not be so silent on big points when you feel like you could hear a pin drop. It’s a no brainer. Orlando should 100% be a playoff venue, and should probably even be where the finals are held in the future. Sure, NYC is cool, but this stadium can hold thousands, Orlando is both cheap and easy to travel to, it’s a family friendly destination, Florida is a pickleball hot bed, and Orlando is only roughly a maximum 4 hour drive from all the densely populated areas. To top it all off, the Squeeze ownership is one of the best in the league, and they sold out a stadium when their team wasn’t even that competitive. Imagine if they were?!

That’s all for this edition folks, stay tuned as I intend to get out my regular season awards before the playoffs get going on Friday! I haven’t yet fully decided my categories, but it will be a mix of serious and silly. It’s a bit ridiculous in my opinion that MLP only has MVP and Most Improved (which Kate has been on 3x LOL). Be back in your inbox soon! 😉

XOXO, your internet bestie, Anna❤️🫦✨