Breakers trade for the future, acquire Kiora Kunimoto
The Bay Area Breakers have acquired Kiora Kunimoto and James Delgado from the California Black Bears in exchange for franchise originals Pablo Tellez, Mya Bui, and cash. The move is a clear statement of direction: the Breakers are getting younger and deeper in singles as they build toward 2027.
The deal
- Bay Area Breakers receive: Kiora Kunimoto and James Delgado
- California Black Bears receive: Pablo Tellez, Mya Bui, and cash
Adding youth and singles
Kunimoto headlines the return. Still early in her career, she brings elite-level singles and has already shown she can compete with the best in MLP. Singles is where events are so often decided, and a player who can win a Dreambreaker changes what a lineup is capable of on any given day.
Just as important is the timeline. Kunimoto arrives with two more years of eligibility, which gives the Breakers a young cornerstone to grow around rather than a short-term rental. In practical terms, the front office turned an expiring contract into a controllable young building block, exactly the kind of move a team makes when it is planning for the long haul.
A full-circle homecoming
For Kunimoto, this is not a first chapter with the Breakers. It is a return home. She began her MLP journey on the Breakers developmental team in 2025, after General Manager Geoffrey Nguyen first spotted her in Hawaii and helped sign her to the tour. The Bay Area is where she was discovered and given her first opportunity, and now, after taking her game to the highest levels of the league, she is back where it all started. Nguyen calls it a full-circle moment for the franchise and the player alike.
Thank you, Pablo and Mya
This deal does not happen without acknowledging two players who helped make the Breakers who they are.
"Pablo has meant everything to this franchise," said Breakers General Manager Geoffrey Nguyen. "He was our very first pick back in 2022 and a driving force behind the two championships this organization has celebrated. Mya has been just as important to who we are, on the court and in our community. Moving on from players like this is never easy, and we are grateful for everything they gave the Bay."
"At the same time, our job is to build the strongest team we can for the years ahead," Nguyen continued. "Kiora is one of the most exciting young singles players in the sport, and adding her elite singles with two more years of eligibility, alongside James, sets us up to compete now and to grow into 2027. This is about building something that lasts."
Building toward 2027
With Kunimoto in the fold, the Breakers add the kind of youth and singles firepower a roster needs to contend deep into the future. The foundation is being laid, and the best of the Bay Area Breakers is still ahead.
Ride the Tide.
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