NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT– April 15, 2024: The National Pickleball League® (NPL) unveils the highly anticipated results of its 2024 NPL Draft, revealing the newest additions to each of its 12 team's rosters for the upcoming season. The NPL Draft event took place on Sunday, April 14 in Naples, Florida, where team owners, League staff, prospective players, and pickleball fans gathered to witness the results, marking a new chapter in the league's commitment to nurturing talent and reinforcing its status as the top professional 50+ league in the sport.
Each of the rosters has up to eight women and eight men, and together is comprised of virtually all of the top Champions Pros in the sport, including the likes of Hall of Famers Jennifer Dawson and Scott Moore, former top tennis professionals Jaime Oncins and Piet Aldrich, former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Danny Wuerffel, and top-ranked league co-founders Beth Bellamy and Rick Witsken.
Here are the official player rosters for the 2024 NPL Pickleball season.
AUSTIN IGNITE
Women’s Roster:
Leslie Bernard
Connie Burnett
Taunya Davis
Jennifer Gallwas
Chris Karges
Tina Lum
Yvonne Ting
Carolyn Weed
Men’s Roster:
Lance Cowart
Daniel Gold
John Hostetler
Michael Pazourek
John Sperling
Scott Trevethan
Dave Weinbach
Chris Wilton
BOCA RATON PICKLERS
Women’s Roster:
Yvonne D’Aquino
Tracey Flynn
Suzanne LeBlang
Pam Lippy
Ginny Purdy
Audra Spielberger
Taylor Taylor
Kara Williams
Men’s Roster:
Brian Levine
Alan Mendelson
Robert Mittleman
Mircea Morariu
Peter Prodanov
Mark Redding
Brian Shapiro
Tao Thongvanh
COACHELLA VALLEY SCORPIONS
Women’s Roster:
Kim Jagd
Julene James
Lily Kordic
Maggie Murch
Chrishawn Spackman
Brenda Tilford
Stacy Zelenski
Men’s Roster:
Piet Aldrich
Joe Frasca
Dayne Gingrich
Keith Jain
John Riedy
David Smith
Johan Svensson
COLUMBUS HOTSHOTS
Women’s Roster:
Eva Aguirre
Kris Anderson
Nathalie Bagby
Renee Chang
Beth Olivier
Tammie Steele
Lara Thornton
Men’s Roster:
Jim Bronson
Shay Coker
John Hedberg
Kristopher Heddings
Rich Lively
Jeff McKnight
Adam Painter
DENVER ICONICS
Women’s Roster:
Shelley Blanchard
Molly Carter
Cheryl Cartmel
Natalie Hill
Janey McKenna
Maureen O’Malia
Kelly Ojeda
Men’s Roster:
Reine Akebrand
Scott Fliegelman
Scott Johnston
Chris Montgomery
Bill Muno
Chad Shane
Danny Wuerffel
HOUSTON HAMMERS
Women’s Roster:
Amy Blumrosen
Laura Boske
Sheri Courter
Missy Grant
Mary Henne
Mary Beth Henthorne
Stacy Potter
Helen Wilhelm
Men’s Roster:
Craig Bobo
Tony Hoang
Eric Kuo
Rich Lopez
Chris MacDougall
Scott Moore
Joe Paraiso
Dino Patane
INDY DRIVERS
Women’s Roster:
Liz Chaplinsky
Gina Cilento
Shaun Considine
Kristi Dorman
Heather Iffert
Jenny Marcos
Moira Roush
Linda Thompson
Men’s Roster:
Chad Flynn
Glenn Jordan
Ken Julian
Bernard LeBlanc
Christopher Miller
Craig Riley
Matt Troyer
Rick Witsken
KANSAS CITY STINGERS
Women’s Roster:
Leslie Bashinsky
Yannet Brister
Jennifer Dawson
Amy Honea
Kim Kesner
Cristen Kessler
Stacey McKay
Natasha Nuerge
Men’s Roster:
Michael Chen
David George
Saed Ibsais
Hugh Laroque
Reed Newhall
Stan Perry
Paul Salmela
Daryl Wyatt
NAPLES JBB UNITED
Women’s Roster:
Electra Ariail
Mary Helen Atkins
Kristy Kind
Lora Charles
Carol Emanuel
Melissa LeBlanc
Sally Smithley
Aye Unnoppet
Men’s Roster:
Gerald Alvarado
Steve Dawson
Thomas DeCaprio
Joe Mlaka
Jaime Oncins
Scott Tingley
Tom Tueller
David Welles
OKC PUNISHERS
Women’s Roster:
Leslie Ballard
Beth Bellamy
Mary Kelly Dakin
Patty Gallegos
Seyhan Hunter
Stroble Kelly
Natalie Todorovic-Shaw
Julie Weston
Men’s Roster:
Greg Boyce
Lowell Gunderson
Tommy Ho
Dave Johnson
Mark Milner
Brian Noble
Paul Olin
Glen (Randy) Parker
PRINCETON BRUISERS
Women’s Roster:
Magge Camuti
Christie Domoracki
Roseann Heim
Aila Main
Jenny Merrill
Karin Ptaszek-Kochis
Alka Strippoli
Dana Wiatroski
Men’s Roster:
Vinay Bahuguna
Patrick Cote
Jose Derisi
Stephen Emmons
David Komie
Cord Robbins
Vivek Talyan
Tony Vassos
SEATTLE UNITED PICKLEBALL
Women’s Roster:
Paty Bennett
Raegan Ferguson
Cara Beth Lee
Natasha Linton
Lila Le Rawlings
Anna Shirley
Teresa Tarn
Adriana Tomazelli
Men’s Roster:
Stefan Andren
Greg Bennett
Martin Clark
Dave Furman
Eric Le
Troy Osborn
Jih-Shian Yeo
Eric Wold
ROUND ONE DRAFT RESULTS:
Jaime Oncins
Dayne Gingrich
Dave Weinbach
Rick Witsken
Stefan Andren
Beth Bellamy
Sheri Courter
Mircea Morariu
Jennifer Dawson
Kristopher Heddings
Jose Derisi
Christie Domoracki
"We are so excited to welcome these talented athletes who will represent the National Pickleball League teams and their respective markets during the 2024 season," said Paul Bamundo, Chief Executive Officer of the National Pickleball League. "NPL remains dedicated to advancing the sport and offering a platform for both seasoned players and emerging talents to flourish on a national scale."
Last year, the NPL concluded its inaugural season with the Indy Drivers clinching the championship. Now, the 2024 NPL season is set to begin on May 17th in Chicago, featuring scheduled events once per month from May to September at state-of-the-art indoor facilities nationwide. The season opener will be livestreamed on the National Pickleball League YouTube Channel @nationalpickleballleague and details for each event can be found on the National Pickleball League website www.NPLpickleball.com.
The regular season will culminate in October with the Championships, where teams will compete for the prestigious title and a chance to claim a share of the $150,000 prize money. The location for the Championships will be announced soon.
2024 NPL Season Schedule:
Season Opener / Chicago, IL: May 17-19
Columbus, OH: June 21-23
Cincinnati, OH: July 19-21
Kansas City, MO: August 9-11
Houston, TX: September 13-15
Championship Weekend / Location TBA: October 17-20
Michael Chen (co-founder), Beth Bellamy (co-founder), former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Danny Wuerffel, Rick Witsken (co-founder)
About National Pickleball League®
The National Pickleball League® was founded in 2022 by Champions Pro players Rick Witsken, Beth Bellamy, and Michael “Hammer Mike” Chen. NPL Pickleball™ is a nationwide team competition for Champions Division (age 50+) professional pickleball players and made up of twelve teams in metropolitan locations in Indianapolis, Austin, Boca Raton, Naples, Denver, Oklahoma City, Houston, Seattle, Kansas City, Columbus, Coachella Valley and Princeton. National Pickleball League® is owned by National Pickleball League, LLC. The NPL is dedicated to expanding the reach of pickleball, fostering community engagement, physical and mental health, and elevating the sport to new heights. Companies interested in sponsorship opportunities with NPL Pickleball™ can email info@nplpickleball.com for more information or visit the league’s website at www.NPLpickleball.com.