Maya Brady Continues Family Legacy as Top Draft Pick in Athletes Unlimited Softball League
The Brady family name has long been associated with athletic excellence, primarily due to legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Now, his niece Maya Brady is carving out her own impressive legacy in professional sports, achieving something even her famous uncle never did—being selected as the number one overall pick in a professional draft. On Monday, the Oklahoma City Spark chose Maya as the top selection in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s expansion and allocation drafts, marking a significant milestone for the Brady athletic dynasty.
Maya’s path to this achievement has deep family roots in competitive sports. Her mother, Maureen Brady—Tom Brady’s sister—was herself an accomplished softball player for the Fresno State Bulldogs. This strong athletic lineage clearly influenced Maya’s development as she built an exceptional career at UCLA. During her time with the Bruins, Maya accumulated an impressive collection of accolades, including two Pac-12 Player of the Year awards and three First Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American honors. She was twice named a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, establishing herself as one of the most formidable players in college softball.
Her collegiate statistics speak to her dominance on the field. By the conclusion of her UCLA career in 2024, Maya had cemented her place in the program’s history, finishing second all-time in several critical offensive categories: 71 home runs, 246 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of .757. These numbers reflect not just raw talent but a disciplined approach to the game that has made her one of the most feared hitters in softball. Following Maya in the draft, the Cascade selected former Oklahoma Sooners pitcher Sam Landry with the second pick, followed by former Oklahoma State Cowgirls pitcher Kelly Maxwell as their top allocation draft selection. Another notable selection was former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo, who went to the Bandits as the tenth pick in the allocation draft.
While carrying the Brady name might seem like a burden to some, Maya has embraced the connection and the expectations that come with it. In a 2021 interview with The Athletic, she reflected on her family legacy, saying: “For me, knowing that my family is very successful, I think it puts a lot of good pressure on me. It’s not pressure like… I’m going to put shame on the Brady family name. It’s just good pressure. I love bearing the last name. I’m just really proud of it.” This perspective reveals Maya’s healthy approach to her family’s success—seeing it as inspiration rather than intimidation, and using it to fuel her own achievements rather than feeling overshadowed by her uncle’s NFL stardom.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League represents a relatively new frontier in professional women’s sports. Founded in 2024, the league has quickly established itself as a significant platform for elite softball talent, with six teams competing for championships. The league’s structure provides opportunities for top collegiate players to continue their careers professionally, maintaining a high level of competition and visibility for the sport. The Talons, who defeated the Bandits in the 2025 championship earlier this year, represent the kind of competitive excellence the league hopes to foster as it grows. Maya Brady’s selection as the number one overall pick not only highlights her individual talent but also brings additional attention to this developing professional league.
Maya Brady’s journey from UCLA star to the top pick in a professional draft illustrates the evolving landscape of women’s sports in America. Her achievement stands as both a personal triumph and a continuation of the Brady family’s remarkable athletic legacy. As she transitions from collegiate to professional softball, Maya carries not just the weight of her famous last name but also the potential to become a transformative figure in her own sport. Her selection by the Oklahoma City Spark represents not just the beginning of her professional career but potentially the start of a new chapter in the storied Brady family athletic history—one written on the softball diamond rather than the football field, but no less significant in its impact on American sports.
