The St. Louis Shock Own Their MLP Hometown Event: Full Recap
Playing in their third straight weekend, the pressure was mounting for the St. Louis Shock to win an event in the 2026 Major League Pickleball season. If you missed the preview, the MLP St. Louis event preview broke down the storylines heading into the weekend.
Well, the pressure is off. They won in dominating fashion while also hosting the event in St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena, on the Saint Louis University campus.
They finished third in Dallas, second in Columbus, and then just won the whole thing in St. Louis. The St. Louis Shock won the first MLP Cup in franchise history, and this hometown win adds another chapter to the most storied team in the league.
The crazy part is that St. Louis is now 60% of the way through their regular season. They only play St. Pete, the Mid-Season Tournament, and Orlando from here on out.
How Did the St. Louis Shock Do It?
They won all four pool play matches, only losing two games the entire weekend. Those two losses came in the fourth game of two different matches where they had already secured a regulation victory by winning the first three games.
The finals was a rematch of a pool play match from MLP Dallas, against the LA Mad Drops. In Dallas, the Mad Drops won in a Dreambreaker and Ben Johns played some of the best pickleball I've seen him play in years. Ben Johns made a historic move to join the LA Mad Drops ahead of the 2026 season, making this finals rematch all the more meaningful for both teams.
The Shock had different plans in St. Louis. They came out fast and furious and won women’s 11-1. Then Hayden and Gabe made quick work of Ben and Max, 11-3. Anna and Hayden kept the momentum going and beat Ben and Jade, 11-5 for the clean 3-0 sweep.
The Shock now have 58 regular season standings points (1st) and are averaging 19.33 points per event, good for second place, behind the Mad Drops.
The LA Mad Drops Finish Second at MLP St. Louis
OVerall, the Mad Drops also had a heckuva event, winning all five pool play matches, 3-1. The only two games Ben Johns lost were in the final on Super Sunday. The biggest issue the Mad Drops walked away from St. Louis is their women. Catherine and Jade have been elite for so long, but they went just 2-4 in St. Louis. Was this just a hiccup or a sign of things to come?
MLP St. Louis Pool Play Recap
Pool A Notes:
- The Bay Area Breakers were without Pablo Tellez all weekend and weren’t able to manage a match win. The biggest bright spot for the Breakers was Mya Bui and Ella Yeh defeating Jessie Irvine and Kaitlyn Christian 11-6.
- Speaking of the Bouncers - the vibes are officially off. The Bouncers can’t seem to find much chemistry, but are still teetering on the playoff cusp.
- Jack Sock is playing inspired pickleball for Orlando and I am here for it - the Squeeze women are going to need to be better than 1-4 in upcoming events for this team to really have a chance.
Pool B Notes:
- Despite recently trading for Alix Truong, the Flames only managed one match win and left the St. Louis event with zero standings points.
- The Hard 8s played in their first event and definitely went through some growing pains - Meghan Dizon, their highest drafted player, finished 47th out of 49 players and went 1-9 in her games.
- The Night Owls earned eight standings points and have a bit of a conundrum on their hands - they decided to start Braden Jacobson in men’s on Super Sunday, instead of Blaine Hovenier - do they stick with this, or does Hovenier go back into the lineup?
- Brooklyn also played in their first event of the year, and guess what happened. Riley Newman hurt his foot and missed the last two days. Inside Riley Newman's luxury NYC setup gives you the human side of the player now dealing with an injury heading into the next stretch of the season. Chris Haworth filled in admirably, going 4-4 in his games, and helped clinch third place on Super Sunday with Jackie Kawamoto, defeating Jack Sock and Lacy Schneemann when the pressure was on.
MLP St. Louis Event Standings
2026 MLP Overall Team Standings After St. Louis
UUp next on the MLP schedule is MLP Austin, which starts at 9am on Thursday. The St. Louis Shock will be watching from home for the first time this season. (I know, because the first match of the event is the Black Bears vs. the Miami Pickleball Club and we play at 9am for some ungodly reason).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the MLP St. Louis event?
The St. Louis Shock won the MLP St. Louis event, defeating the LA Mad Drops 3-0 in the Super Sunday final. It was the Shock's first event win of the 2026 season after finishing third in Dallas and second in Columbus.
How did the St. Louis Shock win MLP St. Louis?
The Shock dominated from start to finish, winning all four pool play matches and losing just two games across the entire weekend. In the final, Anna Bright and her women won 11-1, Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio beat Ben Johns and Max Freeman 11-3, and the mixed doubles duo closed it out 11-5 for the clean 3-0 sweep.
What happened with the LA Mad Drops at MLP St. Louis?
The Mad Drops went 5-0 in pool play but fell in the Super Sunday final, with Ben Johns losing his only two games of the weekend. Their biggest concern heading out of St. Louis was the 2-4 record by Catherine Parenteau and Jade Kawamoto in women's doubles.
Who is leading the 2026 MLP standings after St. Louis?
The St. Louis Shock lead with 58 regular season standings points, followed closely by the LA Mad Drops. The Shock are 60% of the way through their regular season with only MLP St. Pete, the Mid-Season Tournament, and MLP Orlando remaining.
What happened with Brooklyn and Riley Newman at MLP St. Louis?
Riley Newman injured his foot and missed the last two days of competition, with Chris Haworth stepping in and going 4-4 in his games. Brooklyn still earned a third-place finish at MLP St. Louis after Haworth and Jackie Kawamoto beat Jack Sock and Lacy Schneemann in a pressure moment on Super Sunday.
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