Beating Waters meant refusing to play against her

Beating Waters meant refusing to play against her

Anna Leigh Waters has lost so rarely that every defeat invites the same question: what did the opponent discover?

In the Grand Rapids final, St Louis Shock discovered that the answer was not to overpower her. It was to remove her. Anna Bright and Kate Fahey directed almost everything towards Jorja Johnson, using deep, neutral dinks to prevent her attacking out of the air while Waters waited on the other side of the court.

The plan demanded patience as much as placement. St Louis rejected tempting attacks, maintained its shape and denied Waters the rhythm required to re-enter the contest. It was the Shock’s third consecutive victory over New Jersey, turning the freeze-out from theory into a blueprint other MLP teams will now study.

San Diego is testing the trades before the window closes

Columbus finished Day One at 2-0 and established early control of Group B. Elsewhere, San Diego began revealing how quickly recently altered rosters can become functioning teams.

Phoenix split its matches but found a dependable women’s pairing in Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak. Orlando went 1-1 while integrating Alex Walker after Lacy Schneemann’s injury. California’s rebuilt roster opened 0-1, while Florida slipped to 0-2. With the trade deadline moved to 20 July, teams can still react. The harder judgement is whether another move would solve the problem or restart the integration process.

Vietnam is ready to measure what its boom produced

Vietnam’s first National Youth Age-Group Pickleball Championship begins with a Da Nang qualifier today. Categories from U10 to U18 will give players developed by different schools, clubs and provinces a shared national reference point. Talent identification is only the beginning, but Vietnam can now start measuring the quality developing behind its participation boom.

What happens after pickleball attracts attention?

Four WPM Academy pieces examine the harder stage that follows a breakthrough, whether it belongs to a sport, a tour, a tournament or an individual player.

Olympic ambition: Players want pickleball at Brisbane 2032, but popularity is not the immediate obstacle. Sarah Leaver examines how divided international governance leaves the sport without the unified authority an Olympic campaign requires.
Read Sarah’s analysis →

The Challenger question: First-time champions, international contenders and teenage prospects have made have made the 2026 PPA Challenger Tour harder to win. Isaac Hunter asks whether stronger competition leads towards sustainable opportunity or simply a more expensive proving ground.
Read Isaac’s mid-season review →

From the octagon to Warsaw: Former UFC champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk will bring attention to the WPC Polish Cup, which begins today with players from 18 countries. Will Russell looks beyond the crossover attraction to the Polish contenders expected to win on home courts.
Read Will’s Polish Cup preview →

The harder part after winning: Jack Foster proved his singles ceiling by winning the 2024 US Open. Noah Burns-Green charts the APP contender’s attempt to turn one exceptional week into a repeatable professional career.
Read Noah’s player profile →

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