Maya Brady (Photo via Imagn Images)

Maya Brady, the niece of football icon Tom Brady, has likely made her uncle proud.

For one, she’s already achieved a feat he never did, having gone No. 1 in a professional sports draft.

The former UCLA Bruins star was the top pick in this week’s Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s expansion and allocation draft, heading to the Oklahoma City Spark.

The shortstop is the daughter of Maureen Brady, Tom’s sister, who was also a softball star at Fresno State.

Maya was a standout with the Bruins. A two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year Award winner, she is also a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist and a three-time First Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American.

She completed her NCAA stint last year, finishing with the second-most home runs in program history, 246 RBI, and a .757 slugging percentage.

Maya Brady Proud Of Her Family’s Success

UCLA shortstop Maya Brady (Photo via Imagn Images)
Maya Brady was interviewed by The Athletic in 2021. During the interview, she confessed that her family name comes with pressure, but she’s proud to be a Brady.

“It’s not pressure like if I lose or I strike out, I feel like my family’s not going to talk to me, or I’m going to put shame on the Brady family name. It’s just good pressure. I love bearing the last name. I’m just really proud of it,” she said.

The AUSL was founded in 2024 and has six teams. The Talons are the inaugural champions, having beaten the Bandits in the championship earlier this year.

Following Maya in the draft were pitcher Sam Landry from Oklahoma, selected No. 2 by the Cascade.

Given how impressed Tom Brady was after a recent high school touchdown, he’s probably beaming over his niece.

Luka Doncic ‘destroys’ the Mavs on his return. Gets standing ovation and shows love to Mark Cuban

Luka Doncic hits 45 points in his first game in Dallas since being traded to the Los Angeles.

It’s rare for a home crowd to cheer the visiting team, but Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas was no ordinary night.

Just days before February’s trade deadline, the Mavericks shocked the NBA by sending their 26-year-old superstar to the Lakers—a move that outraged fans and sparked backlash toward GM Nico Harrison.

On Wednesday, Doncic played his first game back in Dallas since the trade. The arena was filled with fans in both his old Mavs and new Lakers jerseys, many chanting “Fire Nico” in protest.

Despite the emotion in the air, Doncic delivered a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 112-97 win. It was a powerful return for one of the league’s brightest stars—and a night Dallas won’t soon forget

The Mavericks pay tribute to Luka Dončić

While the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic remains heavily criticized, they handled his return to Dallas with undeniable grace. The organization made sure his first game back as a Laker was met with respect and appreciation.

Every seat in the arena was draped with a T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse,” which translates from Slovenian to “thank you for everything.” It was a thoughtful nod to Doncic’s heritage and impact on the franchise.

Before tip-off, during the starting lineup announcements, the Mavericks played a tribute video showcasing some of Doncic’s most iconic moments in a Dallas jersey. The emotional gesture clearly resonated—moving Doncic to tears in front of the crowd that once called him their own.

Luka Doncic ‘DESTROYS’ his old team

Luka delivered a dazzling performance against his former team, putting up 45 points on 16-of-28 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. He also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a game that showed exactly why he’s one of the best in the league.

From the opening tip, Doncic was locked in. By halftime, Doncic had racked up 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting in just 19 minutes—marking the 10th time in his career he’s scored 30 or more in a single half.

Though his scoring slowed in the second half, he continued to lead effectively, securing both a Lakers win and an unforgettable showing for the fans in Dallas.