Last Updated on August 3, 2026 by Drew Pierce
The MLP regular season just ended with an absolutely unforgettable Super Sunday in Orlando. The New Jersey 5s got revenge against St. Louis with the most dramatic mixed doubles game in league history, securing the #1 playoff seed, the playoff bracket is now set, and we’re officially one week away from everything that matters. Let’s dig in.
That Mixed Doubles Game: Khlif/Waters vs. Patriquin/Bright Might Be the Best Game Ever Played in MLP
Final Score: Khlif/Waters 15-13
Let me be clear: this is the game that everyone will be talking about during the off-season.
In the opening game of the MLP Orlando Super Sunday championship final between New Jersey 5s and St. Louis Shock, Noe Khlif and Anna Leigh Waters faced Hayden Patriquin and Anna Bright in mixed doubles. It was only the first match of the event, but it became the day’s defining moment.
The Shock’s Patriquin/Bright tandem came out hot, sprinting to a 5-0 lead. Most teams would be rattled. Not New Jersey. They clawed back methodically, point by point, until they had multiple game points at 10-7 and 10-9.
But Patriquin and Bright aren’t the defending MLP Cup champions by accident. They had game points of their own. The momentum swung back and forth like a pendulum. One team would edge ahead. The other team would answer. Players were making clutch volleys. Servers were placing serves in the corners. Kitchen play was clean and patient. For a 15-minute stretch, neither team could build separation.
According to reports from the venue, there were multiple game points across both teams before Waters finally secured the winning point at 15-13—a 26-point game of mixed doubles that went far beyond standard length.
The crowd at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex was on their feet. Players from other teams were watching. Everyone knew they were witnessing something special.
New Jersey Beats St. Louis 3-1 for the #1 Seed—But This One Hurt Different
Final Score: New Jersey 5s 3, St. Louis Shock 1
After that epic mixed doubles victory, New Jersey had momentum. But they still had to finish the job.
Game 2: Men’s doubles. The Shock’s Patriquin/Tardio beat Federico Staksrud/Will Howells 11-5 to tie the series 1-1. Point back to St. Louis.
Game 3: Women’s doubles. This is where the narrative shifted. <a href=”https://pickleball.com/news/new-jersey-avenges-mid-season-tournament-loss-beats-st-louis-to-secure-top-playoff-seed” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Jorja Johnson and the newly-acquired Federico Staksrud dominated Kate Fahey/Gabe Tardio 11-2</a> to put New Jersey ahead 2-1.
That essentially sealed the match. New Jersey had taken a 2-1 lead with the momentum on their side. The Shock never recovered.
Final game: More mixed doubles (different pairings). New Jersey closed it out to secure the 3-1 victory, the event title, and the #1 overall playoff seed.
Let me put this in context: This is revenge. Three weeks ago at the MLP Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, St. Louis swept New Jersey 3-0 in the championship final. The Shock were rolling. They looked untouchable. Everyone was asking: Is St. Louis going to dominate the entire playoffs?
New Jersey answered that question Sunday by beating them 3-1 when it mattered most—in the final regular season event with the #1 seed on the line.
The Federico Staksrud Trade: Did New Jersey Just Buy the Playoffs?
Here’s the headline that’s going to dominate debate over the next week: New Jersey traded Martin Emmrich, Lina Padegimaite, and $400,000 in cash to Orlando Squeeze to acquire Federico Staksrud and Milly Rane.
$400,000.
For perspective, that’s a massive financial commitment for a mid-season player acquisition. The New Jersey 5s literally paid nearly half a million dollars to get an elite talent in their lineup for the playoffs.
Federico Staksrud is the #1 men’s singles player in the world on the PPA Tour. He’s elite at doubles and mixed doubles. And he just debuted for New Jersey at the final regular season event.
Did the trade work? Staksrud/Howells lost to Patriquin/Tardio in men’s doubles on Super Sunday, but he contributed to New Jersey’s overall success. What’s not debatable: New Jersey won the event and secured the #1 seed, and they believed Staksrud was worth the investment.
The 12-Team Playoff Bracket Is Set—And Chicago Shocked Everyone
The playoff field includes:
Top 4 Seeds (First-Round Bye):
- New Jersey 5s – #1 seed
- St. Louis Shock – #2 seed
- Columbus Sliders – #3 seed
- Dallas Flash – #4 seed
Seeds 5-12:
5. Los Angeles Mad Drops
6. Brooklyn Pickleball Team
7. Palm Beach Royals
8. Atlanta Bouncers
(Seeds 9-12 to be determined from Round 1)
The biggest story: Chicago Slice clinched the 12th and final playoff spot with back-to-back DreamBreaker wins on Saturday and Sunday. They came into the final week fighting for their playoff lives and pulled it off.
The teams that missed the cut: Phoenix Flames, SoCal Hard 8s, Texas Ranchers, Las Vegas Night Owls, Miami Pickleball Club, Utah Black Diamonds, and California Black Bears.
The Playoff Format: Here’s What’s About to Happen
Round 1: August 6-9, Dallas, TX
Seeds 5-12 compete in single-elimination play. The four winners advance.
Quarterfinals: August 13-16, Newport Beach, CA
The top 4 seeds (who received first-round byes) rejoin the bracket here. Seeds 1-4 select their opponents from the four Round 1 winners. As the #1 seed, New Jersey gets to pick first, then St. Louis picks second, then Columbus, then Dallas.
Finals: August 28-30, New York City at Central Park (City Pickle at Wollman Rink)
The final championship matches determine the 2026 MLP Champion.
Why the #1 Seed Matters: New Jersey Gets to Pick Its Opponents
Here’s the advantage of being the #1 seed: You get to select which first-round winner you face in the quarterfinals. This matters tremendously.
If Chicago Slice (12th seed) upsets someone in Round 1 and makes the quarterfinals, New Jersey can choose not to play them. They can pick a different first-round winner who they believe is a worse matchup. That’s enormous leverage.
St. Louis, as the #2 seed, picks second. Columbus (3rd) picks third. Dallas (4th) picks last. But all of them get first-round byes, which is a massive rest advantage heading into the crunch time.
What This Means: St. Louis Lost More Than an Event
The St. Louis Shock were on a 15-match winning streak heading into Orlando. They swept New Jersey three weeks ago. Everything suggested they were the team to beat.
Then they ran into a New Jersey squad that had made a desperation trade for elite talent and was hungry for revenge. In the highest-stakes match of the regular season, St. Louis came up short.
Here’s what’s dangerous: St. Louis still has the #2 seed and a first-round bye. They’re still an elite team. But the narrative has shifted. New Jersey has momentum. St. Louis has doubt.
Psychology matters in playoffs. And right now, New Jersey owns the psychological advantage.
Next Week: The Real Season Starts
The MLP Playoffs begin August 6 in Dallas. This is where everything the regular season built up to actually matters. No more “standings points.” No more “event titles.” Just championships.
New Jersey 5s, with a refreshed roster featuring Staksrud, start as favorites. St. Louis Shock is dangerous but no longer the prohibitive favorite. Columbus Sliders quietly had a great season and earned the #3 seed. Dallas Flash, who won the recent MLP San Diego event, is a legitimate #4 seed threat.
And somewhere in that first round, Chicago Slice is playing with house money, fighting for their playoff lives knowing one win could mean a quarterfinal matchup with a top seed.
This is why people love playoff pickleball. Anything can happen when you get to single-elimination.
See you in Dallas.