MLP Waiver Period #2: Five Teams Reshuffle Rosters; Black Bears Land Connor Mogle from Hogs
Major League Pickleball staged its second of four planned 2026 waiver periods on June 2, with five teams making UPA-signed claims paid at a minimum $1,000 bid: Miami took Rika Fujiwara (waiving Ava Cavataio), Chicago Slice took AJ Koller (waiving Tom Protzek), Carolina Hogs took Nicole Conard (waiving Alli Phillips), California Black Bears took James Delgado (waiving Connor Mogle), and Texas Ranchers took Marcela Hones (waiving Genie Bouchard). A separate side trade sent Connor Mogle from the Carolina Hogs to the California Black Bears for Michael Loyd, with the next waiver period scheduled for June 23.
Read at Major League Pickleball →Storylines for MLP St. Louis: Home Cooking, Bright vs. Fahey, and a Shock Title Chase at Chaifetz
Pickleball.com's Dave Fleming previews MLP St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena (June 4-7), framing the third event of the 2026 season as a chance for the home-market St. Louis Shock to convert crowd energy into standings points after watching the New Jersey 5s and Los Angeles Mad Drops trade the top spot through Dallas and Columbus. Fleming flags Anna Bright and Kate Fahey as the Shock's twin pressure points, and lays out which group-play matchups in both pools will most likely decide who lands the 25-point Sunday slot.
Read at Pickleball.com →3 Skills That Separate 4.0 From 5.0 Pickleball Players
The Dink Media Team breaks down the three skill jumps that separate the 4.0 plateau from a 5.0 game: consistent reset ability under speed-up pressure, controlled offensive shot selection from the transition zone instead of defaulting to another third-shot drop, and disciplined point construction that punishes the opponent's second-best ball rather than chasing winners. The piece argues most 4.0 players already own the strokes but lose 5.0-level points to decision-making and patience, and lays out drill structures aimed at closing each gap.
Read at The Dink →
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