The Wire · Issue #2 · Monday, July 13, 2026
St. Louis Freezes Out ALW, Sweeps NJ for First Mid-Season Title
St. Louis just won a title by refusing to hit the ball to the best player alive — Anna Bright and Kate Fahey iced out Anna Leigh Waters entirely, and the Shock swept New Jersey for their first-ever Mid-Season crown, pulling into a first-place tie in the standings. Over at MLP, Jay Devilliers took a paddle to the face from his own partner and still beat Ben Johns and Jade Kawamoto, though the Mad Drops snuck away with the team win in a Dreambreaker. Plus: USA Pickleball's spin rate limit finally has a start date, and it turns out ALW almost had a very different career entirely.
Lead
St. Louis Shock Freeze Out Anna Leigh Waters, Sweep New Jersey for First Mid-Season Title
Anna Bright and Kate Fahey refused to hit a single ball to the world's best player, and the tactic carried the Shock to a 3-0 sweep of the 5s and their first-ever Mid-Season Tournament crown — pulling St. Louis into a first-place tie with New Jersey at 93 points.
The wire
Paddle to the Face, Then a Win: Jay Devilliers' Bloody MLP Night
Devilliers took an accidental hit from his own partner's paddle at MLP — then he and Jessie Irvine beat Ben Johns and Jade Kawamoto anyway, though the Mad Drops stole the team match in a Dreambreaker.
Personal & social
USA Pickleball Sets Its New Spin Rate Limit: 2,100 RPM, Starting Oct. 1
USAP's long-promised Spin Rate Test goes live October 1 with a dual-camera rig from Image Systems, and paddles will need to clear 2,100 RPM to get certified.
Before she was pickleball's GOAT, Anna Leigh Waters was a soccer prodigy scouted by pro clubs
Her childhood coaches tell The Dink that Waters had pro and national-team potential on the pitch — and that the door hasn't fully closed.