Anna Leigh Waters confronted Hayden Patriquin right after the mixed doubles match between New Jersey 5s and St. Louis Shock in MLP. Photo: Screengrabs
A major controversy broke out in Major League Pickleball (MLP) at the season-opening event in Orlando during the tie between New Jersey 5s and St. Louis Shock on Sunday. St. Louis handed New Jersey their first defeat of the season.
But the tie will be remembered more for an off-the-court controversy involving Anna Leigh Waters and Hayden Patriquin.
What Really Happened?
After St. Louis won both the women's and men's doubles games, New Jersey bounced back with a decisive win in the first mixed doubles game between Anna Leigh Waters-Will Howells and Kate Fahey-Hayden Patriquin.
Things quickly escalated when Patriquin allegedly called Anna Leigh Waters a "F***ing B****" as Waters walked off the court.
There are, however, some conflicting reports about exactly what Patriquin said. But from the video that has already gone viral, it became clear what Patriquin said to Waters.
Waters confronted Patriquin and shouted at her. There was also an alleged shove, and MLP officials tried to de-escalate the situation.
The prevailing situation led many to question why Patriquin hurled such an unparliamentary expression.
Patriquin was admonished by the announcer for calling Waters a "F***ing B****." On his part, he admitted the mistake and apologized. But it remains unknown whether he personally apologized to Waters.
"Some words were said that should not have been said. It is what it is, it is the heat of the moment," he said. "...I am sorry, I should not have done it."
But the question remains: is Waters innocent at all? She did have a role to play in the incident that saw Patriquin venting his frustration.
Waters escalated tensions by charging after Patriquin as he walked to his team's bench, eventually making her way past a member of the St. Louis Shock support staff, who found himself in an unfortunate situation by no fault of his own.
Waters yelled in Patriquin's face. But it is not exactly known what she said to Patriquin while chasing him toward the dugout.
The incident brought to the fore an old issue in Major League Pickleball that had been previously raised - that having the benches on the same side of the court can lead to these sorts of disputes because the teams are just a few feet away from each other. In matches, players create an awful din, and they tend to not like each other. At the end of the day, they are fiercest rivals on the court.
Had the benches been on two different flanks, this whole controversy could have been avoided. At least a referee in the middle, like the ones we see in soccer, could have prevented things from getting out of control.
In a separate accusation, New Jersey 5s owner Ryan Harwood and coach Leigh Waters (Anna Leigh's mother) accused St. Louis Chief Operating Officer Andrew Haines of grabbing and shoving Anna Leigh, which further escalated the situation. In the video that went viral, Haines was seen standing in the middle between Waters and Patriquin.
Will MLP Take Action?
MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani now finds himself in a difficult situation as he has to decide whether Patriquin is guilty or whether both Patriquin and Waters should be spared with just a warning for the disciplinary breach.
However, from a fan's perspective, such controversies - especially when two players confront each other - can be entertaining. They heighten the tournament's excitement and draw greater fan interest. For MLP, however, suspending star players comes with its own set of drawbacks, making the situation particularly delicate.
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