Season's End: Breakers Fall in San Diego, Turn the Page to 2027
The Bay Area Breakers closed their 2026 campaign at Barnes Tennis Center for MLP San Diego, and it ended the way too much of the season went: close, but not quite close enough. A strong start was not enough to keep the playoff hopes alive, and with the final result, the Breakers were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
San Diego: a fast start, then the wall
The Breakers came out of the gate with a Dreambreaker win over the Utah Black Diamonds, exactly the kind of clutch finish that had eluded them for stretches of the year. From there, the group turned tough. Bay Area dropped its remaining three group matches, but that opening win over Utah still carried weight: it lifted the Breakers to 4th in the group and booked a Super Sunday spot in the 7th and 8th place match against the Orlando Squeeze.
Kiora Kunimoto was central to it. In the Dreambreaker, where four players rotate through singles points, four at a time, until a team reaches 21, her addition to the lineup proved vital in the win over Utah. Acquired just before the stretch run, Kunimoto made her short time in a Breakers uniform count, and her growth over those few weeks was one of the real bright spots of the season.
On Super Sunday, the Breakers pushed Orlando all the way to another Dreambreaker before falling just short, with Kunimoto again turning in a standout performance even in defeat. With the loss, the Breakers' weekend, their season, and their playoff hopes all came to a close.
The season in review
One event at a time, here is how the 2026 campaign played out:
- Dallas (season opener): 1-4, with the lone win coming over Utah.
- St. Louis: 0-4, a fifth-place group finish and a hard weekend all around.
- Austin: 2-3 in pool play and the high point of the season. The Breakers reached the first Super Sunday in franchise history, fell to Miami, and finished 6th for their best event of the year.
- New York: 1-4, but closed strong with a sweep of the Carolina Hogs in Blaine Hovenier's debut.
- Mid-Season Tournament (Grand Rapids): two heartbreakers, falling to Florida in a Dreambreaker and then to Utah in a 10-10 game four.
- San Diego: 1-3 in the group with another Dreambreaker win over Utah, before falling to Orlando on Super Sunday and being eliminated.
That leaves the Breakers with a final regular-season record of 5-22.
If there was a measuring stick this season, it was Utah. The Breakers beat the Black Diamonds at Dallas and again at San Diego, and the one time it slipped away, that 10-10 game four in Grand Rapids, told the story of the whole year. The margins were razor thin. A Dreambreaker here, a couple of points there, and the record looks very different.
Where we stand
The Breakers close the season with 15 standings points, currently tied for 14th. With no events left on their schedule and other teams still holding two MLP events to play, that spot will slip as the field plays on. Either way, it will not be enough to climb into the top 12 and the playoffs. Austin remains the high-water mark, and the season as a whole was defined by close calls that did not fall the Bay Area's way.
Deadline moves: building toward 2027
The final buzzer in San Diego was not the last piece of Breakers news. Ahead of the July 20 trade deadline, the front office made a move squarely aimed at the future.
The Breakers traded James Delgado to the Miami Pickleball Club. Delgado joined the Breakers as a waiver pickup and could not be retained on the roster next season, and the move gives Miami a piece as they push to improve their record down the stretch.
"We want to thank James for everything he brought to this club," said General Manager Geoffrey Nguyen. "His energy was contagious and he competed with everything he had every time he stepped on the court. We wish him the best of luck going forward."
In return, Bay Area added 16-year-old prospect Braden Jacobson from the Las Vegas Night Owls. Jacobson continues the youth movement that started with the acquisition of Kiora Kunimoto. At just 16, he is exactly the kind of young talent the Breakers are betting on as they build something to contend with in 2027 and beyond.
Looking ahead
The 2026 season did not finish where the Breakers wanted, but the foundation is taking shape. We could not be prouder of our young players, from Ella Yeh's continued growth to the breakthroughs we saw across the roster this season. They grew up in front of us, and they showed exactly why the future of this club is bright.
With that young core, the additions of Kiora Kunimoto and Braden Jacobson, and a full offseason to build, there is real reason for excitement heading into next year. The close losses sting now, but they are the kind a maturing team learns to win. The Bay Area will be back, and we cannot wait for 2027.
Thank you to our sponsors
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See the 2026 roster →