“She’s not just Tom Brady’s niece.”Ī lifetime of following in her family’s footsteps has primed Brady for her latest position on the field, where she has to fill the shoes of Perez, a five-year starter at shortstop. “She’s Maya Brady,” outfielder Aaliyah Jordan said defiantly. While Maya is proud to uphold the family name, the constant connection to her uncle have grown tiring for even her teammates, who have watched Maya gracefully navigate her uncle’s shadow for years. “Tom Brady, niece trade messages after UCLA softball appearance,” a Sports Illustrated headline read after the former NFL star posted photos he took at Easton Stadium while watching Maya drive in a run against Arizona State. Even after Brady went six for 12 with four RBIs in a three-game sweep of Arizona State that extended UCLA’s lead atop the Pac-12 standings, many on social media were focused on who was in the stands during one of the games. That part makes me happy because that allows her talent to unleash instead of feeling pressure of what she’s ‘supposed’ to do.”Įxpectations of what Brady would bring to UCLA were even larger than a typical highly touted prospect. “But she truly understands how to get after it now. If nobody else was going to believe in me, then I might as well believe in myself.” “At one point in the season, I was so over that, that it almost did allow me to break free from my own standards. “I definitely got caught up in a lot of media and what people were saying about me,” Brady said. Expectations remained sky high for the niece of a seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback. 317 during the regular season, felt as if it were never enough. Even when she had a successful game, Brady, who hit. Last year, with the departure of UCLA’s Olympians, opposing pitchers zeroed in on Brady. UCLA softball lost some of its best players from last year, but Maya Brady and the Bruins hope to make another NCAA title run in 2023.īrady starred during her pandemic-shortened freshman season in 2020 and was named an NFCA first-team All-American in 2021 while playing alongside veterans Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles. UCLA Sports UCLA softball chasing title with ‘perfect storm’ of experience and young talent Brady had to prove she had the same quality. It was Nuveman’s ability to turn bad pitches into hits that signaled her elite status. 466 career batting average is still the best in Bruins history. When talking about Brady’s growth this year, UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez referenced the legendary hitter whose. Stacey Nuveman is the only UCLA player to earn the honor. With 57 RBIs and 16 home runs that rank second in the Pac-12, Brady was close to becoming just the fourth player in conference history to win the batting triple crown. 339 last year, Brady now leads the conference with a. 9 seed Oregon State.Īfter hitting a disappointing. 1-seeded Bruins will play in Thursday’s quarterfinal at Tucson against No. 2-ranked UCLA (50-4) will take a 23-game winning streak into the inaugural Pac-12 Conference tournament. The redshirt junior is having her best season as a Bruin by delivering much-needed leadership at shortstop, light-hearted jokes in the dugout and steady hitting at the plate. On the field and behind the scenes, it’s Brady’s time. Then she realizes everyone is looking at her. Now a veteran on a team that welcomed seven freshmen while pushing for its eighth consecutive Women’s College World Series berth, Brady occasionally finds herself waiting for someone else’s calm voice to command the clubhouse. UCLA stars such as Briana Perez, Kinsley Washington and Delanie Wisz would speak up in any team meetings. For three years, Maya Brady sat back and relied on upperclassmen and national champions to lead the way.
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