Maya Brady powers Spark playoff push after grand slam start
Oklahoma City’s first expansion pick is chasing AUSL honors while carrying a famous family’s competitive streak into softball.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Maya Brady opened her Oklahoma City Spark season with the loudest possible first swing: a grand slam.
Then, in her next trip to the plate, the power hitter dropped down a bunt to move a runner and beat it out for a single, according to ESPN. For Spark coach Amber Flores, the sequence summed up why Brady has become central to Oklahoma City’s late-season charge in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
Flores told ESPN after a 13-5 win over the Texas Volts last month that Brady is one of the world’s top players and sets the offensive tone for the Spark. The coach also praised her leadership and willingness to do what the game calls for.
Brady, 25, is the niece of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, and her own résumé is getting crowded. ESPN reported that, despite missing four games because of a hamstring injury, she was tied for the AUSL lead through Thursday’s games with 20 runs scored and eight home runs.
She also ranked third in slugging percentage at .911, sixth in on-base percentage at .478 and third in OPS at 1.389, according to ESPN.
Oklahoma City general manager Kirk Walker told ESPN that Brady should be in the conversation for the league’s most valuable player and hitter of the year honors. The Spark had improved to 11-11 and remained in playoff contention entering the final week of the season.
A Brady family star in her own lane
Brady grew up around elite competition. She told ESPN that childhood trips often included watching her uncle Tom play, and she also saw him compete in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March at age 48.
Tom Brady has publicly returned the admiration. ESPN noted that he praised Maya on X in 2021 as the top athlete in the Brady family, celebrated her on Instagram in 2024 when she broke UCLA’s career home run record, and posted again after she hit two home runs against Oklahoma in a Women’s College World Series game.
Maya Brady has already stacked up titles. ESPN reported that she played on the Talons’ AUSL championship team last year, won with the Toyota Red Terriers in Japan’s Diamond Softball League and earned a gold medal at the 2025 World Games.
Her mother, Maureen Brady, remains her biggest model. Maureen was an All-American pitcher at Fresno State and won a nation-best 36 games as a junior, according to ESPN. Maya told ESPN her mother’s competitiveness and support have shaped her career.
The family’s sports ties run wide. ESPN reported that Tom Brady’s sister Julie played soccer at Saint Mary’s College and is married to former MLB infielder Kevin Youkilis, sister Nancy received a softball scholarship to Cal, and Maya’s sister Hannah plays volleyball at Michigan.
First pick, fast payoff
Brady’s move to Oklahoma City came after she missed much of last season with a strained hamstring, then returned in force. ESPN reported she hit .647 in six regular-season games, with 11 hits in 17 at-bats.
The Talons left her available in the expansion draft while prioritizing pitchers, Walker told ESPN. The Spark took Brady with the first overall pick, and by Wednesday she was hitting .393 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs.
Walker, who worked with Brady at UCLA, told ESPN her home-run power comes from strength, timing and years of technical work rather than a flashy swing. Teammate Bubba Nickles, who also played with Brady at UCLA, said Brady’s preparation shows in early training work, extra reps and how she treats teammates.
Walker said the biggest change this season has been Brady becoming more vocal as a leader. For a new franchise trying to push into the postseason, Oklahoma City’s first big bet is paying off fast.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.