Etta Tuionetoa

Etta Wright (now Etta Tuionetoa) is a proud Tongan-American athlete who seemingly played every sport on earth before settling on pickleball. Netball, touch rugby, basketball, soccer, field hockey, tennis, badminton, ping pong, racquetball... you name it, Etta probably has a trophy for it. She played varsity tennis at Brigham Young University-Hawaii and even stayed on as an assistant tennis coach before her uncle introduced her to pickleball in 2018. With that kind of multi-sport background, it's no surprise she was a natural. By 2022, she turned pro and started medaling in her very first year on tour.

Etta competes on the PPA Tour using a JOOLA paddle and has notched impressive results across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She took gold in mixed doubles at the 2023 PPA Utah event, and her playing style pulls from all those different sports she grew up with, giving her an unpredictable and dynamic game that keeps opponents guessing. When she's not on the court, Etta enjoys spending time with her daughter, binge-watching Downton Abbey, and working on becoming fluent in Spanish and Mandarin. She's passionate about representing Tongan culture in a sport that's still growing its diversity, and she brings that pride to every match she plays.