Riley Newman back, Ben Johns 19-5: the numbers that define MLP's third event

Riley Newman sat out MLP St. Louis with an injury, replaced by Chris Haworth; he is expected back in the Brooklyn lineup for St. Pete. ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗ ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗ The timing matters — Brooklyn faces LA on Saturday in what shapes up as the Group A decider, and the Kawamoto sisters headline every preview: Jackie for Brooklyn, Jade for LA.

Some season stats worth tracking heading into event three:

- **Ben Johns: 19-5** across all matches this season for LA. ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗ - **Anna Bright and Kate Fahey: 14-2** for St. Louis — with both losses coming against Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson, who won't be in the St. Pete field. ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗ - **Jackie Kawamoto and Rachel Rohrabacher: 6-0** in women's doubles to start the season for Brooklyn. ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗ - **Jade Kawamoto and Catherine Parenteau: 6-6** for LA, a number both previews flag as an area to watch. ▶ pickleball.com (news wire) ↗

The Bright/Fahey 14-2 figure has a catch: the only team that has beaten them won't be at this event. If St. Louis makes Super Sunday, their women's doubles enters it undefeated against the field they'll actually face in St. Pete.