Jorja Johnson's Surprising Move to New Jersey Fives Shakes Up Major League Pickleball

Jorja Johnson's Unexpected Team Switch

During the recent Major League Pickleball draft, a significant topic of discussion emerged when Jorja Johnson made the surprising decision to leave the Dallas Flash for the New Jersey Fives. In a conversation on the Pickleballers Podcast with her brother JW Johnson, Jorja disclosed that her exit was not part of the original plan. She stated, “Dropping me wasn’t the original plan.” Jorja explained that the Dallas Flash had intended to release a different player prior to the draft, but circumstances changed unexpectedly. “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,” she elaborated.

This transition quickly became a hot topic within the pickleball community, especially given Johnson's strong connections to the Dallas organization. Roscoe Bellamy, co-host of the Pickleballers Podcast, remarked on the surprising nature of the draft outcome. He noted, “He thought that if he dropped you, no other team would go after you because you’re Dallas Flash family.” With JW on the team, it was assumed that Jorja would remain loyal to the Flash. Bellamy described the Fives' high bid for her as a shocking move within the pickleball world.

For Jorja, this change was more than just a team switch. “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,” she reflected. Previously, competing against JW was not a significant issue as MLP was seen as a fun event, but now the dynamics have shifted considerably.

JW acknowledged that the news was tough for the Dallas players to accept. “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 shared. “You can’t really do anything about it, but we were definitely sad about it for a little while.”

This move has also set the stage for one of the most exciting women's partnerships in Major League Pickleball, as Johnson will now be teaming up with Anna Leigh Waters. “Playing with Anna Leigh will be exciting and fun,” Jorja expressed. “When we played Daytona together, we had a good time. I thought we played pretty well together.”

Despite embarking on a new journey with the Fives, Johnson cherishes her memories with the Dallas Flash, particularly their 2024 MLP championship run, which she considers a career highlight. “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,” Jorja concluded. “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.”