diff --git a/src/components/sections/team/TeamCarousel.tsx b/src/components/sections/team/TeamCarousel.tsx
index 9d37a04..9d2f6bd 100644
--- a/src/components/sections/team/TeamCarousel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sections/team/TeamCarousel.tsx
@@ -94,30 +94,22 @@ export function TeamCarousel({ members, activeIndex, onActiveChange }: TeamCarou
     []
   );
 
-  // Deferred index update — avoids calling parent setState during render
-  // (onLostPointerCapture can fire during React reconciliation)
-  const pendingIndexRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (pendingIndexRef.current !== null) {
-      onActiveChange(pendingIndexRef.current);
-      pendingIndexRef.current = null;
-    }
-  });
-
   const onPointerUp = useCallback(() => {
     if (!dragStartRef.current) return;
     const startIdx = dragStartRef.current.startIndex;
     const currentOffset = dragOffset;
     const wasDrag = Math.abs(currentOffset) > 10;
     const steps = wasDrag ? Math.round(currentOffset / CARD_SPACING) : 0;
-    setDragOffset(0);
-    if (steps !== 0) {
-      pendingIndexRef.current = wrapIndex(startIdx - steps, total);
-    }
     dragStartRef.current = null;
     isDraggingRef.current = false;
     pausedUntilRef.current = Date.now() + PAUSE_MS;
-  }, [total, dragOffset]);
+    if (steps !== 0) {
+      // Update index and reset offset in the same batch so the old card
+      // never becomes center for a frame (prevents label flash)
+      onActiveChange(wrapIndex(startIdx - steps, total));
+    }
+    setDragOffset(0);
+  }, [total, dragOffset, onActiveChange]);
 
   // Compute interpolated style for each card
   const baseIndex = dragStartRef.current ? dragStartRef.current.startIndex : activeIndex;
@@ -165,6 +157,8 @@ export function TeamCarousel({ members, activeIndex, onActiveChange }: TeamCarou
         ? "none"
         : "all 0.8s cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.46, 0.45, 0.94)",
       isCenter: absDiff < 0.5,
+      /** 1 at center, fades to 0 by absDiff=0.6 */
+      centerOpacity: clamp(1 - absDiff / 0.6, 0, 1),
     };
   }
 
@@ -228,10 +222,16 @@ export function TeamCarousel({ members, activeIndex, onActiveChange }: TeamCarou
               draggable={false}
             />
 
-            {style.isCenter && (
+            {style.centerOpacity > 0 && (
               <>
-                <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black/80 via-black/10 to-transparent" />
-                <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 p-5">
+                <div
+                  className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black/80 via-black/10 to-transparent"
+                  style={{ opacity: style.centerOpacity }}
+                />
+                <div
+                  className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 p-5"
+                  style={{ opacity: style.centerOpacity }}
+                >
                   <h3 className="text-lg font-bold text-white sm:text-xl drop-shadow-lg">
                     {m.name}
                   </h3>