The National Pickleball League (NPL) has unveiled 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.
Marking A New Chapter
The NPL Draft event took place on Sunday, April 14, in Naples, Florida, with team owners, League staff, prospective players, and pickleball fans gathering to witness the results.
The event marked 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 roster has up to eight women and eight men, and together, they are comprised of virtually all of the top Champions Pros in the sport, including Hall of Famers Scott Moore and Jennifer Dawson, former top tennis professionals Jaime Oncins and Piet Aldrich, former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback Danny Wuerffel, and top-ranked league co-founders Rick Witsken and Beth Bellamy.
Official Player Rosters
Here are the official player rosters for the 2024 NPL Pickleball season.
Austin Ignite
Men’s Roster
Lance Cowart
Daniel Gold
John Hostetler
Michael Pazourek
John Sperling
Scott Trevethan
Dave Weinbach
Chris Wilton
Women’s Roster
Leslie Bernard
Connie Burnett
Taunya Davis
Jennifer Gallwas
Chris Karges
Tina Lum
Yvonne Ting
Carolyn Weed
Boca Raton Picklers
Men’s Roster
Brian Levine
Alan Mendelson
Robert Mittleman
Mircea Morariu
Peter Prodanov
Mark Redding
Brian Shapiro
Tao Thongvanh
Women’s Roster
Yvonne D’Aquino
Tracey Flynn
Suzanne LeBlang
Pam Lippy
Ginny Purdy
Audra Spielberger
Taylor Taylor
Kara William
Coachella Valley Scorpions
Men’s Roster
Piet Aldrich
Joe Frasca
Dayne Gingrich
Keith Jain
John Riedy
David Smith
Johan Svensson
Women’s Roster
Kim Jagd
Julene James
Lily Kordic
Maggie Murch
Chrishawn Spackman
Brenda Tilford
Stacy Zelenski
Columbus Hotshots
Men’s Roster
Jim Bronson
Shay Coker
John Hedberg
Kristopher Heddings
Rich Lively
Jeff McKnight
Adam Painter
Women’s Roster
Eva Aguirre
Kris Anderson
Nathalie Bagby
Renee Chang
Beth Olivier
Tammie Steele
Lara Thornton
Denver Iconics
Men’s Roster
Reine Akebrand
Scott Fliegelman
Scott Johnston
Chris Montgomery
Bill Muno
Chad Shane
Danny Wuerffel
Women’s Roster
Shelley Blanchard
Molly Carter
Cheryl Cartmel
Natalie Hill
Janey McKenna
Maureen O’Malia
Kelly Ojeda
Houston Hammers
Men’s Roster
Craig Bobo
Tony Hoang
Eric Kuo
Rich Lopez
Chris MacDougall
Scott Moore
Joe Paraiso
Dino Patane
Women’s Roster
Amy Blumrosen
Laura Boske
Sheri Courter
Missy Grant
Mary Henne
Mary Beth Henthorne
Stacy Potter
Helen Wilhelm
Indy Drivers
Men’s Roster
Chad Flynn
Glenn Jordan
Ken Julian
Bernard LeBlanc
Christopher Miller
Craig Riley
Matt Troyer
Rick Witsken
Women’s Roster
Liz Chaplinsky
Gina Cilento
Shaun Considine
Kristi Dorman
Heather Iffert
Jenny Marcos
Moira Roush
Linda Thompson
Kansas City Stingers
Men’s Roster
Michael Chen
David George
Saed Ibsais
Hugh Laroque
Reed Newhall
Stan Perry
Paul Salmela
Daryl Wyatt
Women’s Roster
Leslie Bashinsky
Yannet Brister
Jennifer Dawson
Amy Honea
Kim Kesner
Cristen Kessler
Stacey McKay
Natasha Nuerge
Naples JBB United
Men’s Roster
Gerald Alvarado
Steve Dawson
Thomas DeCaprio
Joe Mlaka
Jaime Oncins
Scott Tingley
Tom Tueller
David Welles
Women’s Roster
Electra Ariail
Mary Helen Atkins
Kristy Kind
Lora Charles
Carol Emanuel
Melissa LeBlanc
Sally Smithley
Aye Unnoppet
OKC Punishers
Men’s Roster
Greg Boyce
Lowell Gunderson
Tommy Ho
Dave Johnson
Mark Milner
Brian Noble
Paul Olin
Glen (Randy) Parker
Women’s Roster
Leslie Ballard
Beth Bellamy
Mary Kelly Dakin
Patty Gallegos
Seyhan Hunter
Stroble Kelly
Natalie Todorovic-Shaw
Julie Weston
Princeton Bruisers
Men’s Roster
Vinay Bahuguna
Patrick Cote
Jose Derisi
Stephen Emmons
David Komie
Cord Robbins
Vivek Talyan
Tony Vassos
Women’s Roster
Magge Camuti
Christie Domoracki
Roseann Heim
Aila Main
Jenny Merrill
Karin Ptaszek-Kochis
Alka Strippoli
Dana Wiatroski
Seattle United Pickleball
Men’s Roster
Stefan Andren
Greg Bennett
Martin Clark
Dave Furman
Eric Le
Troy Osborn
Jih-Shian Yeo
Eric Wold
Women’s Roster
Paty Bennett
Raegan Ferguson
Cara Beth Lee
Natasha Linton
Lila Le Rawlings
Anna Shirley
Teresa Tarn
Adriana Tomazelli
First Round Draft Picks
1. Jaime Oncins
2. Dayne Gingrich
3. Dave Weinbach
4. Rick Witsken
5. Stefan Andren
6. Beth Bellamy
7. Sheri Courter
8. Mircea Morariu
9. Jennifer Dawson
10. Kristopher Heddings
11. Jose Derisi
12. Christie Domoracki
“Talented Athletes”
“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 live-streamed on the National Pickleball League YouTube Channel, and details for each event can be found on nplpickleball.com.
The regular season culminates in October with the Championships, where teams 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
