Maya Brady Makes History with No. 1 Pick in Softball Draft

It seems talent runs deep in the Brady family. While legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady has achieved so much, his niece Maya has just made history by being drafted as the No. 1 pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s expansion draft.

On Monday, the Oklahoma City Spark selected her first overall. Maya, who shined at UCLA as a star shortstop, is the daughter of Maureen Brady—Tom’s sister—who was also a standout softball player at Fresno State.

Maya Brady enjoyed an impressive collegiate career. She earned the title of two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year and was named a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, alongside being a three-time All-American Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team selection. By the end of her time with the Bruins in 2024, she ranked second in the program’s history for home runs (71), RBIs (246), and slugging percentage (.757).

Even with the weight of her family name, Maya seems to handle it well. In a previous interview, she reflected on the pressure saying, “I know my family is very successful, so I think that’s a good pressure for me. It’s not…a pressure to shame the Brady family name. Just a good pressure. I love having that last name. I’m just really proud of it.”

For this draft, Cascade followed with former Oklahoma Sooners pitcher Sam Landry as the second pick, and former Oklahoma State pitcher Kerry Maxwell rounded out the top three selections.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which began in 2024, recently saw the Talons defeat the Bandits to claim the championship title earlier this year. With six teams competing, it seems the league is building a solid reputation in professional sports.