One of the biggest talking points of the Major League Pickleball season came during the MLP Draft when Jorja Johnson unexpectedly left Dallas Flash and joined the New Jersey Fives. Speaking on the Pickleballers Podcast alongside her brother JW Johnson, Jorja revealed that her departure was never initially expected.
“Dropping me wasn’t the original plan,” said Jorja. According to Jorja, Dallas Flash had intended to release another player before the draft process took an unexpected turn.
“The intention was to pick me back up, but I don’t think anyone expected the bidding to go that high. It was way more than the first draft. I’m not offended, but that was my first time that I ever changed teams mid-season,” explained Jorja.
The move quickly became one of the most discussed moments in the pickleball community, particularly because of Johnson’s close ties to the Dallas organization. Roscoe Bellamy, co-host of the Pickleballers Podcast, described the draft outcome as a surprise for many observers.
“He thought that if he dropped you, no other team would go after you because you’re Dallas Flash family,” said Roscoe Bellamy.
“JW is on the team, and everyone knows you want to play for the Flash. I think the Fives bidding that high for you and basically stealing you was the craziest thing ever in the pickleball community.”
For Johnson, the transition involved more than simply changing teams. “Leaving the Flash was a lot because they’ve started to build these cultures within the team, and it was just a big, big change,” noted Jorja.
“Before, JW and I would play against each other all the time and it wasn’t that big of a deal because MLP was just a fun event. Now, it’s changed so much.”
Her brother admitted the news was difficult for Dallas players to process. “When we found out she was with the Fives, we were all super surprised. Then we were all so sad, but that’s just how it is,” he mentioned.
“You can’t really do anything about it, but we were definitely sad about it for a little while.”
The move has also created one of the most anticipated women’s pairings in Major League Pickleball, with Johnson now teaming up alongside Anna Leigh Waters. “Playing will Anna Leigh will be exciting and fun,” praised Jorja.
“When we played Daytona together, we had a good time. I thought we played pretty well together.”
Despite beginning a new chapter with the Fives, Johnson said some of her best memories remain tied to Dallas Flash. She pointed to the team’s 2024 MLP championship run as the highlight of her career.
“Winning MLP was just so cool. We had been counted out all season. Even though we’d beaten all the best teams, I think everyone was really heavy on the Fives and the Shock being the favorites to win. So us winning, even in the semis, everyone was blown away,” concluded Jorja.
“They called it a ‘Cinderella story’ and we had something to prove because we’d been doing decent all season. Winning was the coolest feeling ever, and we were in Orlando so we brought in a bunch of our friends. It was just awesome.”
