Fast Takes with FastBreak: Charlotte vs Detroit

By: David Banas and Christian Barnes

Unfinished History:

In the 2025 MLQ season, the Charlotte Aviators bounced the Detroit Innovators in the final game of the MLQ play-in bracket, claiming the last quarterfinals spot and ending any chances of an Innovators Benepe Cup. Earlier this year, in the 2026 USQ Cup competitive bracket, the Carolina Reapers — largely, the USQ version of the Aviators — forced the same defeat to Trainwreck Quadball, whose nationals roster held Innovators Krish Jain, Rob Butler, and Brooke Smiley. Have the Innovators gone back to the drawing board and created a plan for success? Or will Kody LaBauve and his Charlotte crew prove that these losses were merely layovers toward another Innovators defeat?

The Innovators and Aviators have faced off exactly twice in their history with Charlotte walking away with both wins. This matchup, however, will soon become a familiar one with the new league setup. Without further ado, here is FBN’s series preview of this inaugural matchup!

Absences:

For the Innovators, perhaps the most difficult pill to swallow this weekend is the unavailability of Rei Brodeur and recent addition Jon Jackson. Jackson’s absence spells potential trouble for what otherwise could have been a quick-fix solution to Detroit’s offensive struggles in the chaser game during last year’s faceoff in the MLQ bracket. Someone else will have to step up to fill this gap (more on that below). For Brodeur, their loss stings especially hard in an area that has traditionally been a strong suit for the Innovators: namely, using beater dominance to help boost their chasers to be able to compete at an MLQ level. 

One of the burning questions is thus: with whom will Head Coach Ryan Hsu pair for the series? The most obvious answer is Smiley, whom Hsu paired with during Trainwreck’s semifinals run at the USQ Champaign Qualifier this past USQ season. Another potential option for Hsu lies in former BGSU and current Apollos player Atlas Mitchell. Mitchell has grown leaps and bounds in practice, but are they prepared to perform as a rookie on the biggest stage? Finally, Hsu might choose to balance out the beating lines and opt to pair with Michigan State rising sophomore — and MLQ rookie — Maggie Wang. 

All approaches have their merits and demerits. With Smiley, Hsu could bank on making an impact with his former teammate. This would be a gamble to go with a hard-hitting plus-minus line while hoping that the experience of David Banas Jr. and Jain can hold their own, trading even and playing conservatively against the more veteran Charlotte beater corps. Choosing to beat with Wang or Mitchell keeps the average strength of the beating corps strong throughout the depth, leaving Smiley to pair with others to keep the beating game stable throughout.

Conversely, Charlotte has a near complete roster with the only absence being seeker and chaser Cole Tibbs. The Aviators will look to take advantage of a full-strength beater corps against a Detroit absent Brodeur. The one-two punch of the veteran LaBauve and Celine Richard pair alongside the Tony Bonadio and Hanna Reese duo will do the job, as this latter pair has quietly stood against the best beaters of the East Division. 

Behind them, Leo Bonilla provides speed and physicality to steal control from an errant beat with a stable but physical Micki Haralson holding space in the open field. Combining this with the Pecks’ seamless chemistry, Charlotte’s beating corps looks primed for takeoff. 

On the scoring side, look to Allison Slominski and Melissa Ross to adjust the Aviators offense as playmakers in the half-court and the Thompsons (Zach and Nick) to take advantage of Innovators too slow to get back on defense. With Detroit’s  propensity for hammer plays, expect Caleb Brooks and Oliver “Lee” Hodge to take an enforcer role, maintaining pressure up top. Look for chasers Lauren Hirsch and Lindsey Simpson to be blocking shots or closing out on hesitating chasers for a quick tackle into a fast break.  

Earning their Wings: 

Last season, the Innovators struggled immensely to score off their side hoop cutters or ball handlers. Not until Jackson Massey dropped two goals from the backfield that got the Charlotte defense in motion did the Aviators’ chasers feel the need to step off their hoop assignments. Indeed, the Aviators allowed Detroit’s chasers to get within two steps of them and still not move as the Innovators proved possession after possession that they could not meet the Charlotte side hoops’ chasers’ dare to dunk on them and make the defense respect the driving threat from the well. 

The Aviators bring chemistry that benefits from the density of competition on the east coast during the USQ season. With similar manifests between the Carolina Reapers and the Aviators, the passengers on Charlotte’s MLQ flight are almost the same as the group that flew to Sacramento in April. 

The MLQ season, however, always finds a way to show rough patches in roster integration. This first series will show how the Aviators leadership has looked to raise the young flyers of beater Samuel Chow and chaser/seeker Carynne White on roster for this weekend. Which of the frequent flyers on the Aviators will work with these junior members on field to produce the success? 

One of these writers is excited to see whether Chow pairs with Steph Peck or Richard as an engage to their masterful free beating, or instead works with Reese or the other Peck, who can play engage or free depending on what their partner needs. White’s understanding of zone defense and time practicing with the Aviators will help with the chemistry of their zone-to-transition play, but the faster-paced MLQ meta means they'll either break out or break down as they take flight this Saturday. 

Seeking Answers:

Detroit must find a way to deny Charlotte seekers Ryan Davis, Tony Bonadio and Austin Cruz any looks on the flag runner this weekend. The seeking advantage lies squarely with the Carolinas-based crew, with the Innovators’ seeking role looking more and more to be a seeker-by-committee approach, with last year’s standouts, Sarah Multer and Neil Peterson, no longer with the team. 

Detroit’s beaters will have their work cut out for them — especially with Brodeur’s absence. They must look to not only ensure that Charlotte’s seekers do not get any prolonged look at the flag runner but also do better than trading even with a beater corps that has had their number. Expect Hsu to have whatever FROP duo closes out the seeker floor period to sit on control to ensure that Charlotte’s deadly trio does not get a quick catch.

As much as Detroit will try to use a great defense as a good offense, the Aviators may leave Bonadio in the beating game. Missing Cole Tibbs would ordinarily be seen as a tough choice moving into the weekend, but it won't really cause any turbulence for the Aviators' FROP strategy. One of these writers believes Davis is the best seeker in the world, hard stop — but this writer is more interested in whether the Aviators switch to allow more game time looks to Cruz, who finished their USQ season with an amazing catch for Reign QC in their close semifinal loss to Boom Train. Thinking ahead to Ohio and the Benepe Cup later, will they give Cruz time to readjust to the MLQ meta, or put away 35 points and any chances of an Innovators comeback?

Transition Play: 

While focusing on the flag runner, Detroit’s chasing corps has its own herculean task before them: namely, slowing down Charlotte’s transition offense and shoring up the shooting gallery that was Detroit’s hoop defense last August. Should Charlotte draw even in the flag runner game with both sides committing numerous resources, LaBauvecould merely elect to beat the Innovators in the dodgeball-less transition game that saw the Aviators fly away with the game, even after Multer’s catch last year.

The name of the game has always been how you adjust on the field and a full Aviators roster means you've got an arsenal to throw at your opponents. Charlotte’s weapons include a quick fighter-jet fastbreak offense, the methodical half-court with punishing shots and hard-hitting defenders with the depth to do it all day. Finally, the Aviators boast a seeking corps that, frankly, helps the opponents if they all sit out for seeking minutes as it takes them out of chaser and beater play — but still has the depth to run all over the pitch. With the missing pieces of the Innovators roster and business-as-usual mindset of the Aviators, expect this weekend to feel more like a holiday getaway filled with Aviator cheers and an Innovators trip back to the drawing board. 

Barnes prediction 3-0