All About Maya Brady, Tom Brady's Niece and Star Softball Player at UCLA - PEOPLE

The Brady family genes are impressive: Not only is Tom Brady considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but his niece Maya Brady is a softball star in her own right.

Maya, who is the eldest daughter of Tom’s older sister Maureen, has been knocking it out of the park — literally — at UCLA since 2020.

In her career as a UCLA Bruin, she’s recorded 54 home runs, 178 RBIs and 170 runs scored. Her stellar stats, including a .448 batting average her senior year, have earned her awards, including the 2023 PAC-12 Player of the Year and the PAC-12 Batting Champion.

Maya’s success on the softball field has wowed many — including her uncle Tom, who repeatedly sings her praises on social media. In fact, the former NFL quarterback (who many consider to be the GOAT) has even claimed on Twitter that Maya is the “most dominant athlete in the Brady family...by far!”

“I think it’s amazing, knowing I have his support,” Maya told The Athletic about her and her uncle’s bond. “He’s like a father figure to me. It’s nice knowing what I do makes him proud.”

She continued, “I’m really grateful that he’s just so supportive of me, given the thousands of things he has to do … It’s really special to see him truly recognize the most athletic in the family.”

So who is Maya Brady? Here’s everything to know about the softball star and her relationship with her uncle, football legend Tom Brady.

She was born into a family of athletes

Maya Brady Instagram

When Maya Brady was born on June 1, 2001, in San Mateo, California, there was no shortage of athletic genes in her family. For starters, her mother, Maureen Brady, was an All-American softball pitcher at Fresno State University — where she led the team to two Women’s College World Series titles (in 1992 and 1994) and currently ranks ninth in school history with 80 wins, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Maureen is the older sister of Tom Brady, the star NFL quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion. Their sister Julie was a college soccer star and is married to former Major League Baseball player and two-time World Series champion Kevin Youkilis, and their other sister Nancy was also a softball standout.

The Brady family athleticism has led to a strong sense of competition within the family, particularly on the annual trip they try to take every summer. Tom showcased one particularly intense game of family dodgeball on his Instagram in 2018. In the video, Maya’s impressive arm can be seen throwing dodgeballs at her uncle.

“We all just love sports and love being competitive,” she told The Athletic about their competitive family. “The common denominator is that we all love winning. Especially in such a close family, you get bragging rights.”

She wanted to play softball at UCLA since she was 9 years old

Maya Brady Instagram

Maya began playing softball at 4 years old and by 9, she knew she wanted to play at UCLA. According to ESPN, she fell in love with UCLA softball at that age after watching them win the Women’s College World Series in 2010.

Maya’s desire to play at the top program only intensified after attending her first UCLA softball game, also at 9 years old. Her travel softball coach arranged for Maya, her mother and her uncle Tom to have a meet-and-greet with the team after the game. Meeting her softball idols in person left a young Maya (who also attended summer softball camps at the university) starstruck, she recalled to ESPN.

“I remember being so nervous because it was my first UCLA game that I had ever gone to,” Maya told ESPN. “I was that shy little 9-year-old kid that the coaches would ask questions to, and I would just smile and look at my mom because I couldn't even speak.”

She added, “Having so much admiration for them after the World Series win, and then going there and being in that atmosphere around the team and coaches really made me a die-hard UCLA fan.”

She was the No. 2 softball recruit in the country in high school

Leon Bennett/Getty 

Maya’s talents on the softball field began to make themselves apparent from a young age. As a result, her mother Maureen moved Maya and her younger sister Hannah from northern to southern California so that Maya could play for the OC Batbusters, one of the oldest and most successful travel softball programs in the country, the Boston Globe reported.

As a high school softball player at Oaks Christian High School in Thousand Oaks, California, Maya quickly became a standout — leading her team to three league championships and winning several awards and honors by the time she graduated in 2019. She committed to play at her dream school, UCLA, as a freshman, according to The Los Angeles Times, and by her senior year, she was considered the No. 2 softball recruit in the country.

But none of Maya’s accolades came without hard work — both from herself and her family.

“It’s really hard on the families. You are in the car, on the road, every weekend, 4 o’clock, 4:30 in the morning,” her mother Maureen explained to the Boston Globe.

She added, “I just am really proud of her hard work. I’m proud of her commitment. When you get to the level she’s at, it’s such a commitment."

She was raised by a single mother — but considers Tom Brady a “father figure”

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Maya’s parents, Maureen and Brian Timmons, divorced in July 2010, when Maya was 9 years old. Following their split, Maureen raised Maya and her sister Hannah, who is seven years younger, as a single mother. She worked as a traveling nurse while raising the girls, planning her schedule around both girls’ sports activities, as Hannah plays volleyball, ESPN reported.

“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 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.”

In addition to her mother, Maya credits her uncle Tom with being “more of a father figure” than an uncle, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“We’re very close,” Maya told The Athletic about their relationship. “We’re a very close family in general, but I have a really special bond with Uncle Tommy.”

She had a standout softball career at UCLA

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Since entering UCLA as a freshman in 2019, Maya has made a name for herself on the softball field. Before her freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was named the PAC-12 Player and Freshman of the Week in February 2020 — after hitting four home runs and scoring nine times. Despite the abbreviated season, Maya still managed to record seven home runs and 22 runs scored, earning her the Softball America Freshman Player of the Year award.

That success continued over the next three seasons, and she kicked off 2023 by making history at UCLA when she recorded 11 consecutive hits — breaking a university record that had stood for more than 20 years. By the end of the 2023 season, her list of accolades grew to include being named the PAC-12 Batting Champion, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist and the PAC-12 Player of the Year.

Tom, who is no stranger to awards himself, helped congratulate his niece on the honor on his Instagram Story.

“Amazing season @mayabrady," the retired NFL quarterback wrote, sharing a screen grab of Maya’s award. “LFG.”

Though Maya has recorded several honors and awards over her four years at UCLA, the infielder has shared that she’d rather see her team be successful over any individual achievements.

“I don’t really care about personal accomplishments that much,” Maya told The Los Angeles Times. “I’d much rather win than be considered an All-American.”

Tom Brady thinks Maya is the “most athletic person” in the Brady family

Maya Brady Instagram

Maya winning the PAC-12 Player of the Year wasn’t the only time her uncle Tom sung her praises. He’s repeatedly spoken out about his niece’s athletic talents — even going as far as declaring her the best athlete in the entire Brady family.

In March 2021, after Maya hit a home run to score three runs, Tom tweeted about her “dominant” performance.

“Maya Brady, the most dominant athlete in the Brady family...by far!” the NFL great proclaimed on Twitter (now known as X).

He also told the Boston Globe in 2019 that he considers Maya to be the “most athletic person” in the entire Brady family.

“I think Maya is already the most athletic person of the family,” Tom told the newspaper. “She’s just a great athlete, so competitive. And she’s been on such winning teams and she’s such a great teammate. It’s so impressive.”

The former NFL quarterback isn’t just complimentary of his niece — he also keeps close tabs on her softball season and attends games when he can. In June 2022, he congratulated Maya on helping the Bruins avoid elimination in the Women’s College World Series after she scored two home runs.

“Must run in the family (sorry mom!),” Tom said in a tweet, which included a video of one of Maya's plays. “Winner takes all in 20 minutes. LET’S GO!”

And, in April 2023, Tom sat in the stands at UCLA while Maya and the Bruins recorded a win against Arizona State. He posted about the game to his Instagram, sharing a series of photos and videos.

“Night at the park. Big W! @uclasoftball!,” he wrote in his caption. Maya responded in the comments to her uncle, writing, “I love you Uncle Tommy. Thank you for coming!!!!”

The softball star has always been appreciative of her uncle’s support. “His support is obviously very influential for me,” she told Associated Press in 2022. “He is a huge factor in my life, so it’s nice to know that he is supporting me.”

She’s attended all 10 of Tom Brady’s Super Bowls

Tom Brady Instagram

Not only does Tom support his niece in the stands, but Maya has been there to see her uncle compete at the highest level. In fact, of the 10 Super Bowls Tom has played in, Maya has been in the stands for all of them, The Athletic reported.

“We’d say ‘Maya, people don’t even go to one Super Bowl in their life. You have been to 10 in 19 years. Fifty percent of your life, you’ve gone to Super Bowls. This is not normal,’” her mother Maureen told The Athletic.

Though Maya has been present at each Super Bowl, the first time she was caught by television cameras came in January 2022 during the NFC Divisional Playoff game. Maya was there supporting her uncle, who was then the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“It doesn’t get much better than this❤️🏴‍☠️🧡,” Maya wrote on Instagram, next to photos of her wearing a coat that read “Brady’s Little Ladies” on the back.

Maya celebrated her uncle’s retirement from football with a tribute on social media, including a photograph of herself as a baby sitting in the star quarterback’s lap with a football in her hands.

“Watching you play football has been one of the greatest joys in my life,” Maya wrote to her uncle in the caption. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many lunch arguments I’ve gotten in over the last 20 years of my life lol. The greatest to ever do it! I love you so much❤️ @tombrady”

Her boyfriend is a UCLA football player

Maya Brady Instagram

Maya has been in a relationship with James Dinneen since at least July 2022, when they were photographed attending the ESPY Awards together (where Maya was a trophy presenter). Dinneen was a linebacker on UCLA’s football team, according to his Bruins player profile, before graduating in 2022.

The couple have shared snippets of their relationship on each of their social media pages, with Maya supporting Dinneen in the stands at UCLA football games and Dinneen accompanying Maya to the 2022 ESPYs.

In June 2023, Dinneen penned a sweet message to his girlfriend on Instagram on her 22nd birthday. “Happy 22nd Birthday to the love of my life and my best friend for the rest of time ❤️,” he wrote. “You are such a special person and I can’t wait to experience the world with you 💗🥰🫶🏼.”

She’s played twice for Team USA’s softball team

Maya Brady Instagram

Maya has represented the United States on a global stage as a member of Team USA’s softball team twice. First, in 2022, she traveled with the team to Japan for an All Star Series — an experience she referred to as a “dream.”

"Living little Mymy’s dream,” she captioned a photo of herself in the Team USA uniform while playing in Japan.

In a separate Instagram post, Maya wrote about how playing for Team USA in Japan was “an honor.”

“This game has given me the opportunity to live out my dreams with the people I love🫶,” Maya wrote alongside the series of photos. “It was truly an honor to wear the red, white, and blue.”

In 2023, it was announced that she had made the roster once again and would be representing the USA at the World Softball Confederation World Cup in Dublin, Ireland in July 2023.

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