The Athletes Unlimited Softball League made a stop in Omaha last week, and one of the league’s stars carries a familiar name for sports fans.
Maya Brady, niece of seven-time NFL Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, is playing for the Talons.
Brady hails from Thousand Oaks, California, where she grew up playing softball. She graduated from Oaks Christian School in 2020 and played her collegiate career at UCLA. While playing for the Bruins, she won numerous accolades including Softball America Freshmen of the Year in 2020, Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024, NFCA first-team All-American in 2021, 2023, and 2024 and Pac-12 batting champion in 2023.
She also ranks second in UCLA program history in RBIs (246), home runs (71), total bases (550) and slugging percentage (.757), fourth in runs scored (229) and 10th in batting average (.384).
Throughout her career she has played multiple positions but is currently a shortstop for the Talons. She was put on the injury reserved list on June 19th and did not play in Omaha.
With the growth of women’s sports around the U.S., Brady said that she enjoys being an inspiration for young female athletes.
“I think it’s just an amazing opportunity,” Brady told Hurrdat Sports. “I think you always kind of have to look back and kind of remember you at that age, and just how influential some of these girls were for us. And then now being able to kind of be people that these little girls are looking up to or potentially see themselves in is an honor, truthfully. So it’s an awesome opportunity to see them and them show up every week, it and just means something to the next generation. So it’s cool.”
The former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback isn’t her only famous relative. Former Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis is also her uncle. She said that sports unify her entire family.
“It’s just super cool,” Brady said. “I think everybody from me — I’m the oldest grandkid — to our youngest, everyone loves sports. So it’s something that we all share that’s super special, and it bonds us. We love to watch together, we love to go for a soccer game, dodgeball, kickball, anything, any chance we get to play sports. I think it’s just something special we all love, and we swear it’s something in our genes that loves sports. I don’t know what it is because it’s not a coincidence.”
Brady is very close with Tom and said she’s learned a lot from seeing all that he’s done.
“For me, I think I get the most from him, just watching how he operates,” Brady said. “As a leader, as a competitor, I think there’s no doubting that he is the best to ever do it. So I think getting to be in such close quarters with somebody that’s considered one of the GOATs is unreal.”
Brady’s mom, Maureen Brady, also played softball in college, at Fresno State and Arizona. Maya and her mom have a very close relationship, and she said she considers her mom her biggest supporter.
“My mom is probably my biggest role model, honestly,” Brady said. “In all aspects of my life, I think my mom is somebody that I really look to for guidance, for opinion, and somebody that just inspires me.”
The fan support has helped make the AUSL so successful thus far and it was no different in Omaha. The league sold out two games while playing in Nebraska. Brady said that it’s cool seeing all the support from the fans.
“To see two sellout nights, and I think the fans here are so engaged, which I think is awesome,” Brady said.
