Why Women Are Becoming the Most Valuable Players in Major League Pickleball
Professional pickleball has grown rapidly over the past few years, but one of the most interesting shifts in the sport isn’t happening during matches. It’s happening behind the scenes as teams build their rosters.
As Major League Pickleball has evolved, so has the value of its players. Increasingly, some of the most important investments teams are making aren’t centered on the men’s side of the game. Instead, they involve elite women players such as Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright.
Their recent moves in Major League Pickleball (MLP) reveal something unique about the structure of the league. In many ways, women have become the most valuable players on the court.
The Benchmark: Anna Leigh Waters
For several years, Anna Leigh Waters has been the most dominant player in women’s professional pickleball. Her ability to control matches in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles has made her one of the most valuable players in the sport.
When the New Jersey 5s secured Waters as their franchise player, the move instantly shifted the competitive balance. In a league where each team match includes women’s doubles and two mixed doubles contests, a player who consistently wins those matchups creates a massive advantage.
Waters isn’t simply a star athlete. She’s a strategic anchor for her team. Opponents know that when she steps onto the court, they are likely facing one of the toughest matchups in the entire league.
Anna Bright’s Record-Setting Deal
If Waters represents the benchmark for dominance, Anna Bright represents the next wave of talent reshaping the sport.
Bright has become one of the most aggressive and exciting players in professional pickleball, known for her fast hands and fearless style at the kitchen line. Her rise through the professional ranks has been rapid, and teams have taken notice.
Recently, Bright became the most expensive player in Major League Pickleball history when the St. Louis Shock paid more than $1 million to secure her rights.
The deal surprised many fans, but it also highlighted a larger truth about the league: elite female players can dramatically influence the outcome of matches.
Why Women Matter So Much in MLP
The structure of Major League Pickleball explains why.
Each team matchup includes four events:
men’s doubles
women’s doubles
two mixed doubles matches
Because women compete in three of those four matchups, having a dominant female player can dramatically influence the result of an entire team contest.
That reality has forced teams to rethink traditional roster strategy. Instead of prioritizing only top men’s players, many organizations now recognize that securing an elite female player may be the most important decision they make.
What About the Men?
That doesn’t mean the men aren’t valuable. Players like Ben Johns remain some of the biggest stars in the sport and continue to draw enormous attention from fans and sponsors.
But the economics of Major League Pickleball are different from most professional sports leagues. Because mixed doubles plays such a significant role in the format, female players influence more of the match than fans might initially realize.
In some cases, that influence has translated directly into record-breaking contracts.
A League Where Women Drive Winning
Major League Pickleball is unique in the professional sports world because the structure of the game places men and women on nearly equal footing when it comes to team success.
Teams cannot win consistently without elite female players capable of dominating women’s doubles and contributing heavily in mixed play.
For fans, this has created some of the most exciting matchups in the sport. For players, it has opened the door to a professional league where women’s contributions are not only recognized but heavily valued.
A Sign of Pickleball’s Future
The deals involving Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright represent more than just roster moves. They reveal the evolving economics of professional pickleball and the growing importance of elite female talent.
Waters remains the benchmark—the player every team would love to build around.
Bright has firmly established herself as one of the elite players in professional pickleball, consistently competing at the top of the rankings.
Together, their contracts highlight something increasingly clear about Major League Pickleball.
In this league, women aren’t just part of the lineup. They are often the players who determine who wins.
