No one hypes up UCLA softball star Maya Brady as much as her uncle Tom Brady – yes, that Tom Brady. Uncle Tommy, as Maya affectionately calls him, referred to Maya as the most dominant Brady of them all. “Maya Brady, the most dominant athlete in the Brady family… by far!” Tom tweeted in March 2021.
Does Maya feel pressure carrying the Brady name? Not at all. She told The Athletic: “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.”
Maya’s mom worked as a traveling nurse and raised her children as a single mother
Maya Brady was born to Maureen Brady and Brian Timmons. She grew up alongside her sister Hannah.
After graduating from college, Maureen became a traveling nurse. She juggled her career with raising the kids as a single mother.
Maureen ensured that her children had opportunities to pursue their passions in life. “Seeing how my mom operates in life is on another level, and I genuinely don’t know if anyone works harder than her,” Maya told ESPN. She continued:
“She constantly reminds me of how nothing is handed to you and how hard and unforgiving life can be, so I take what she tells me and I try to apply it in my own life, whether that be in the classroom or on the field.”
Maya inherited her softball skills from her mother
Maya Brady was born into an athletic family. Her mom and aunt Nancy played softball in college; her uncle Tom has multiple NFL championship rings; her aunt Julie is married to former Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis; her sister plays volleyball.
Brady played soccer and softball before ditching soccer to focus on her mom’s sport. Maya wanted to pitch like Maureen, but coaches advised her to play shortstop. She eventually developed into an outstanding hitter.
“I developed as a hitter definitely with the help of my mom guiding me to think like a pitcher, and her telling me what she would throw me,” Maya told ESPN.
Maya told Softball America that she benefited from her mother’s coaching when she was younger:
“She [Maureen] just really ingrained in me the love of the game. She always coached my teams when I was little. She’s just always so supportive and always assuring that the love of the game is still in there.”