MLP St. Pete Super Sunday: LA Mad Drops vs St. Louis Shock — 25 Points on the Line
Four matchups, 25 standings points on the line, and a day that could reshape the race to the 2026 MLP Playoffs. Super Sunday in St. Petersburg arrives with everything.
St. Petersburg, Florida — Saturday said everything that needed to be said. Now Sunday has to answer.
After four days of intense pool play at St. Pete Athletic — the most impressive indoor pickleball facility professional pickleball has ever seen in Florida — MLP St. Petersburg arrives at its most important moment: Super Sunday. Four matches. Four cross-group showdowns between the best teams from each pool. And season standings points that no team can afford to leave on the table.
The stage is set. The seeds are locked. And the Championship Court at St. Pete Athletic is about to ignite.
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What Saturday Left Behind
Saturday was the day things got decided — and in some cases, confirmed with authority.
The St. Louis Shock closed out pool play with a perfect 4-0 record, and they did it in the most convincing fashion possible. In the most anticipated match of the day, the Shock dismantled the Columbus Sliders with a commanding 12-10, 11-1, 11-1 — a scoreline that left no room for interpretation. Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio, and Kate Fahey did not come to St. Pete to play pretty pickleball. They came to win. And they proved it, point by point.
On the other side of the bracket, the LA Mad Drops also closed pool play undefeated at 3-0 in Group A, securing the top seed in their group and a direct date with the Shock in the biggest match of the day.
MLP's Instagram captured it perfectly with a single image and a single line: "Both Brooklyn and LA enter this matchup undefeated at 3-0, with first place in Group A up for grabs." The tension had been building since Friday.
And while all of that was unfolding, the St. Louis Shock had their own moment on social media — a photo of their players embracing on court with the caption: "Locked in and ready for the first place match tomorrow." The message was clear. They are ready.
Super Sunday — Match by Match
10:00 AM ET — Texas Ranchers vs Utah Black Diamonds (#4 vs #4)
The match that opens the day isn't the most glamorous on the card, but it carries its own consequences. Both teams arrive as the fourth seeds from their respective groups — meaning they did enough to earn a spot on Super Sunday, but not enough to choose their opponent. For Texas and Utah, this match is worth 6 points for the winner and 4 for the loser — and in a season as compressed as 2026, that margin can determine whether you make the playoffs or go home early. There are no throwaway matches in this year's MLP.
11:30 AM ET — Chicago Slice vs Columbus Sliders (#3 vs #3)
This is the match with the most story behind it. The Columbus Sliders arrive as defending champions — but Saturday was a brutal reminder of where the bar has been set. Andrei Daescu, Parris Todd, and Tyra Black — new to the team after the blockbuster trade for Danni-Elle Townsend — need to regroup fast. The Chicago Slice, meanwhile, arrives with a roster that has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the week. 10 points for the winner. The Sliders cannot afford another stumble.
1:00 PM ET — Palm Beach Royals vs Brooklyn Pickleball Team (#2 vs #2)
The arrival of the Palm Beach Royals as an expansion team in 2026 was one of the most intriguing storylines of the draft. And here they are — on Super Sunday in St. Pete, with Tyson McGuffin and Tina Pisnik ready to prove that this team is far more than just a new franchise. Standing across the net is Brooklyn — with Chris Haworth, Rachel Rohrabacher, and Christian Alshon — a team that battled hard throughout the week and showed real character when it mattered most. 15 standings points on the line. This match has thriller written all over it.
2:30 PM ET — LA Mad Drops vs St. Louis Shock (#1 vs #1) 🔥
And then the moment arrives. The match everyone wanted to see from the moment the seeds were confirmed Saturday night.
The LA Mad Drops came to St. Pete with something to prove. Ben Johns, Catherine Parenteau, Jade Kawamoto, and Max Freeman form one of the most talented rosters in the circuit — and a week without a single loss in Group A gives them exactly the confidence they need to face the best team in the league.
But standing across the net is the St. Louis Shock. And the Shock has not lost a single match all week. Anna Bright in the women's game, Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio in doubles, Kate Fahey in singles — this is a machine operating with a synchronicity that very few teams in the circuit can match. Saturday confirmed it. Friday suggested it. And Sunday is the final exam.
25 points for the winner. 18 for the loser. In a season where the race to the playoffs is decided by the smallest of margins, this match could be the one that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
The Championship Court at St. Pete Athletic is going to witness first-class pickleball. The crowd will be on its feet. And we will be following every single point.
Where to Watch Super Sunday
All Super Sunday matches are available live on PickleballTV and the PickleballTV app. The #1 vs #1 match between LA Mad Drops and St. Louis Shock will also be broadcast on MSG Network.
The first match tips off at 10:00 AM ET. There is no excuse to miss it.
"See you on the courts."
Four matchups, 25 standings points on the line, and a day that could reshape the race to the 2026 MLP Playoffs. Super Sunday in St. Petersburg arrives with everything.
St. Petersburg, Florida — Saturday said everything that needed to be said. Now Sunday has to answer.
After four days of intense pool play at St. Pete Athletic — the most impressive indoor pickleball facility professional pickleball has ever seen in Florida — MLP St. Petersburg arrives at its most important moment: Super Sunday. Four matches. Four cross-group showdowns between the best teams from each pool. And season standings points that no team can afford to leave on the table.
The stage is set. The seeds are locked. And the Championship Court at St. Pete Athletic is about to ignite.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
What Saturday Left Behind
Saturday was the day things got decided — and in some cases, confirmed with authority.
The St. Louis Shock closed out pool play with a perfect 4-0 record, and they did it in the most convincing fashion possible. In the most anticipated match of the day, the Shock dismantled the Columbus Sliders with a commanding 12-10, 11-1, 11-1 — a scoreline that left no room for interpretation. Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio, and Kate Fahey did not come to St. Pete to play pretty pickleball. They came to win. And they proved it, point by point.
On the other side of the bracket, the LA Mad Drops also closed pool play undefeated at 3-0 in Group A, securing the top seed in their group and a direct date with the Shock in the biggest match of the day.
MLP's Instagram captured it perfectly with a single image and a single line: "Both Brooklyn and LA enter this matchup undefeated at 3-0, with first place in Group A up for grabs." The tension had been building since Friday.
And while all of that was unfolding, the St. Louis Shock had their own moment on social media — a photo of their players embracing on court with the caption: "Locked in and ready for the first place match tomorrow." The message was clear. They are ready.
Super Sunday — Match by Match
10:00 AM ET — Texas Ranchers vs Utah Black Diamonds (#4 vs #4)
The match that opens the day isn't the most glamorous on the card, but it carries its own consequences. Both teams arrive as the fourth seeds from their respective groups — meaning they did enough to earn a spot on Super Sunday, but not enough to choose their opponent. For Texas and Utah, this match is worth 6 points for the winner and 4 for the loser — and in a season as compressed as 2026, that margin can determine whether you make the playoffs or go home early. There are no throwaway matches in this year's MLP.
11:30 AM ET — Chicago Slice vs Columbus Sliders (#3 vs #3)
This is the match with the most story behind it. The Columbus Sliders arrive as defending champions — but Saturday was a brutal reminder of where the bar has been set. Andrei Daescu, Parris Todd, and Tyra Black — new to the team after the blockbuster trade for Danni-Elle Townsend — need to regroup fast. The Chicago Slice, meanwhile, arrives with a roster that has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the week. 10 points for the winner. The Sliders cannot afford another stumble.
1:00 PM ET — Palm Beach Royals vs Brooklyn Pickleball Team (#2 vs #2)
The arrival of the Palm Beach Royals as an expansion team in 2026 was one of the most intriguing storylines of the draft. And here they are — on Super Sunday in St. Pete, with Tyson McGuffin and Tina Pisnik ready to prove that this team is far more than just a new franchise. Standing across the net is Brooklyn — with Chris Haworth, Rachel Rohrabacher, and Christian Alshon — a team that battled hard throughout the week and showed real character when it mattered most. 15 standings points on the line. This match has thriller written all over it.
2:30 PM ET — LA Mad Drops vs St. Louis Shock (#1 vs #1) 🔥
And then the moment arrives. The match everyone wanted to see from the moment the seeds were confirmed Saturday night.
The LA Mad Drops came to St. Pete with something to prove. Ben Johns, Catherine Parenteau, Jade Kawamoto, and Max Freeman form one of the most talented rosters in the circuit — and a week without a single loss in Group A gives them exactly the confidence they need to face the best team in the league.
But standing across the net is the St. Louis Shock. And the Shock has not lost a single match all week. Anna Bright in the women's game, Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio in doubles, Kate Fahey in singles — this is a machine operating with a synchronicity that very few teams in the circuit can match. Saturday confirmed it. Friday suggested it. And Sunday is the final exam.
25 points for the winner. 18 for the loser. In a season where the race to the playoffs is decided by the smallest of margins, this match could be the one that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
The Championship Court at St. Pete Athletic is going to witness first-class pickleball. The crowd will be on its feet. And we will be following every single point.
Where to Watch Super Sunday
All Super Sunday matches are available live on PickleballTV and the PickleballTV app. The #1 vs #1 match between LA Mad Drops and St. Louis Shock will also be broadcast on MSG Network.
The first match tips off at 10:00 AM ET. There is no excuse to miss it.
"See you on the courts."
