Elizabeth FloresUSA TODAY
The highly anticipated 2024 Women's College World Series has arrived, and the stage is set at Devon Park in Oklahoma City for eight teams to battle it out for the national championship. The UCLA Bruins, a team with a rich history and making their 32nd appearance at the tournament, are set to ignite the WCWS play in Game 1 against Alabama on Thursday.
The Bruins have the most national championships of any program, with 12 championship titles overall. The Bruins last won the championship in 2019. Redshirt Senior Shortstop, Maya Brady, stands out on the UCLA roster and aims to lead the Bruins to another championship title.
Brady is leading the charge from the Bruins heading into the WCWS with a .431 batting average. Her league-high 68 runs batted in and 58 runs scored are a testament to her prowess. Brady's trophy cabinet is filled with accolades, including the Softball America Freshman of the Year, Softball America All-American, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, and Pac-12 Player of the Year.
2024 Women's College World Series: Bracket, schedule and streaming information
Maya Brady's athletic family tree
Maya Brady, a shining star, is not just an individual talent but a part of a rich sporting legacy. Her mother, Maureen Brady, was a formidable collegiate softball pitcher, and her uncle, the legendary Tom Brady, is a household name with an astounding seven Super Bowl Championships.
Brady's other uncle, Kevin Youkilis, is a three-time MLB All-Star and a two-time World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox.
"The person I learned from the most is my mom because she has played on this stage," Brady said in a press conference prior to Game 1 of the WCWS. "My mom wrote me a letter before last year's tournament, and she encouraged me to take in the moment and enjoy the stage with my sisters."
UCLA Softball history
According to the NCAA, The UCLA Bruins secured their first national title in 1982 during the inaugural D1 softball championship by defeating Fresno State. Since then, the program has been led by three head coaches, each of whom has contributed at least two titles to the program. The Bruins hold the record for the most national titles with 12 and Women's College World Series appearances with 36.
The Bruins have won national titles in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2019.
How Brady stacks up against UCLA's best shortstop in history
According to the NCAA, UCLA Bruins best short stop in history is Natasha Watley.
Watley was an outstanding player, achieving first-team All-American status four times. She holds several records at UCLA, including most hits (395), runs scored (252), at-bats (878), triples (21), and stolen bases (158). These records were set during her remarkable seasons from 2000 to 2003. Watley also ranks second in batting average at .450, placing her seventh in NCAA history. Additionally, she is in the NCAA Top 10 for hits (3rd), runs (Tied for 6th), and steals (10th). Over her last three seasons, Watley consistently achieved over 100 hits each year and led the Bruins in both hits and stolen bases throughout her four-year career.
Watley won the Honda Award for softball in 2003, a prestigious honor given to the top collegiate softball player in the nation. She then went on to win the Honda-Broderick Cup, an esteemed recognition, awarded to the nation’s top collegiate female athlete across all sports.
Compared to Watley, Maya Brady is leading the charge for the Bruins in their quest for another national championship as they head into the WCWS with a batting average of .386 throughout her career. She has an impressive 246 runs scored from 2020-2024 and scored 68 runs in 2024. Brady's accolades include being named the Softball America Freshman of the Year, a Softball America All-American, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, and the Pac-12 Player of the Year.
How to watch WCWS: UCLA-Alabama
- Date: Thursday, May 30
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Where: OGE Field at Devon Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Broadcast: ESPN
- Stream: ESPN+
How to watch: Catch the Women College World Series with a ESPN+ Subscription
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