Maya Brady, the impressive UCLA talent and niece of NFL legend Tom Brady, has been selected as the first overall pick in the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Expansion Draft by the Oklahoma City Spark. This selection comes as the AUSL grows with the addition of two new teams, the Spark and Cascade, set to compete in 2026.
Despite missing the first month of the 2025 AUSL season due to a hamstring injury, Brady made an immediate impact upon her debut, reaching base in all her first 10 plate appearances, boasting a perfect 7-for-7 record with three walks. She finished the season hitting an impressive .500 over 22 at-bats.
Before entering the professional ranks, Brady had a stellar collegiate career at UCLA. She was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, claimed the Pac-12 batting title by hitting .456 in 2023, and was a two-time finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Additionally, Brady earned three consecutive NFCA First Team All-American honors and was recognized as the Freshman of the Year by Softball America in 2020, among numerous accolades.
Brady’s remarkable versatility and power make her an ideal centerpiece for the Spark’s roster, which secured the first overall selection after winning the coin toss for the AUSL Expansion Draft. The Cascade followed closely by selecting Sam Landry, a pitcher who previously played for the Volts and attended Oklahoma.
The top five selections of the AUSL Expansion Draft were as follows:
1) Spark: Maya Brady (Talons), INF/OF
2) Cascade: Sam Landry (Volts), P
3) Cascade: Carley Hoover (Blaze), P
4) Spark: Sydney McKinney (Bandits), INF
5) Spark: Sydney Romero (Talons), INF
In addition to the Expansion Draft, the AUSL also recently held its Allocation Draft, allowing teams to select players who opted-in for consideration from various professional leagues. Notable picks from this draft included:
1) Cascade: Kelly Maxwell, P
2) Spark: Kinzie Hansen, C
3) Talons: Jayda Coleman, OF
4) Bandits: Kat Sandercock, P
5) Blaze: Alyssa Brito, INF
6) Volts: Ally Carda, P
As the AUSL continues to evolve with an expanding player pool and new franchises, the anticipation for the upcoming seasons grows. This strategic infusion of talent promises to enhance the competitive landscape and provide fans with exhilarating matchups in the future. Each franchise will also have the opportunity to further develop their squads with the upcoming College Draft, where they will select two NCAA players in the spring.