Star UCLA softball shortstop Maya Brady is set to make a splash in the newly formed Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), according to ESPN. This move is a significant win for the league, which holds its inaugural draft this week, as Brady brings both talent and name recognition.

Brady, 23, is the niece of NFL legend and FOX Sports analyst Tom Brady. A versatile player who also excels in the outfield, she has earned numerous accolades, including two First-Team All-American selections, Pac-12 Player of the Year, and Softball America Freshman of the Year in 2020.

A standout for the historically strong UCLA Bruins softball program, Brady holds the second-highest home run count in school history.

Former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, now a senior advisor for AUSL, has described the league as "Major League Baseball for softball." The inaugural season will feature four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Volts, and Talons – competing in 30 games across six to eight cities.

Ng emphasized the league's potential, stating, "Softball is ripe for growth professionally, and the AUSL is capitalizing on this opportunity by building a dynamic, world-class league. The impressive roster of players in the draft – Olympians, Team USA veterans, All-Americans, and NCAA champions – demonstrates that the best players in the world are united in establishing the AUSL as the next major force in women's sports."

Brady's impressive college career at UCLA saw her amass 71 home runs and 246 RBIs in 249 games. The AUSL's arrival follows the 2024 season, which included two other four-team softball leagues: Women's Professional Fastpitch and the Association of Fastpitch Professionals.