Tom Brady has hailed his niece, Maya Brady, as “the most dominant athlete in the Brady family … by far,” and the Oklahoma City Spark are about to discover just how accurate that claim is. Maya Brady was selected as the No. 1 pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) expansion draft held on Monday. She is set to join the Oklahoma City Spark, one of two new teams, along with Cascade, that will begin competing in the 2026 season.
The AUSL will feature six teams next season, which will include existing teams such as the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts. The 2026 season is set to kick off in June, marking just the second season for the league.
Maya Brady has established herself as a remarkable talent in softball, mirroring her uncle’s legendary football career. At UCLA, she earned accolades such as the Pac-12 Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, and she was a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for two years running. Brady boasts a collection of honors, including three selections as an NFCA First Team All-American and a four-time All-Pac-12 recipient. In 2023, she also secured the Pac-12 batting title with a remarkable .456 average.
Her family’s athletic legacy is impressive. Maya’s mother, Maureen, was a standout softball pitcher in high school with an astounding record of 29 no-hitters and 14 perfect games, while her aunt Julie played college soccer and is married to former Boston Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis, who is a two-time World Series champion.
In the inaugural season of the AUSL in 2025, Maya appeared in eight games for the Talons, achieving a .500 batting average with 11 hits in 22 at-bats, including a home run and five RBIs. With her transition to the Oklahoma City Spark, fans and teammates alike are eager to see what remarkable feats she will achieve next in her career.
Maya Brady’s ascent in the world of softball showcases not only her individual talent but also the continuing legacy of excellence within the Brady family. As she steps onto the field in the upcoming season, there is a palpable excitement about her potential to dominate and inspire new generations of athletes.