Anna Leigh Waters first burst onto the national radar as a soccer prodigy, dazzling opponents with a blend of speed, vision and finishing that set her apart from peers.
A Dual‑Sport Legacy
Her former coach, Clem McAuley, has repeatedly emphasized that Waters possessed the technical and physical tools to compete at the highest levels of the sport, even suggesting she could have earned a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team.
During her U15 season she logged 46 goals and 31 assists, averaging 2.03 points per game, helping her club capture multiple championships while rival coaches devised schemes to neutralize her impact.
Although she was selected for the FIFA‑endorsed Danone Nations Cup and attracted interest from clubs such as the Orlando Pride and scouts from the US Women's National Team, the COVID‑19 pandemic forced her to miss the tournament, prompting a pivot toward pickleball.
In pickleball, Waters has amassed 205 gold medals and 45 Triple Crowns, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Major League Pickleball draft, and became the first pickleball athlete to sign with Nike, landing a spot on the TIME100 list of the most influential people in sports.
Today she is widely regarded as the face of the sport, a trailblazer whose dominance continues to reshape expectations and inspire a new generation of players.