Maya Brady (left) and Sharlize Palacios
Brady, Palacios Named NFCA All-Americans
May 29, 2024 | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Shortstop Maya Brady on the UCLA softball team was named an NFCA First Team All-American for the third time in her career, it was announced Wednesday afternoon. Catcher Sharlize Palacios also earned the first All-America honor in her five-year career, being awarded to the Second Team.
Brady becomes the 11th three-time NFCA First Team All-American in program history and the third Bruin to accomplish the feat since the turn of the century. With Brady's award, UCLA raises its total to 76 First Team All-America selections.
Brady, the back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year, is leading the conference in batting average (.431), extra-base hits (31), runs batted in (68), runs scored (58) and total bases (135) for a second-straight season. She is on pace to become the sixth player in UCLA history to hit for a .400-plus average in back-to-back seasons and is the first UCLA player since Delaney Spaulding with 15-plus home runs in three consecutive seasons.
Brady enters her final WCWS with a .407 average (33-for-81), eight home runs and a .790 slugging percentage in 26 career postseason games. So far this postseason, she ranks second in the NCAA Tournament with a .688 average and 11 base hits.
The USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist has logged four multi-homer games for a second-straight season.
With runners in scoring position, Brady leads the nation with a .698 average (30-for-43), 1.256 slugging percentage and 52 RBI.
Brady is one of two players in program history to earn First Team All-America acclaim at two different positions (GiOnna DiSalvatore). The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native earned First Team honors at shortstop in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024 and was also named to the First Team in the outfield her redshirt freshman season in 2021.
Additionally, Brady is the first UCLA player to be named to the First Team at shortstop since Natasha Watley. Watley was a First Team All-American shortstop all four seasons from 2000-03. The only other UCLA player to be named a First Team All-American at shortstop was Dot Richardson all three seasons from 1981-83.
Palacios is the second UCLA catcher in the last three years to earn All-America status. Delanie Wisz was a Third Team selection in 2022. Palacios ranks first in the Pac-12 in both home runs (20) and slugging percentage (.876). The 20 homers are good for ninth-best in the NCAA while the .876 slugging mark is eighth-best. Palacios is the eighth Bruin in program history to record 20 home runs in a single season (11th time overall).
Palacios is currently experiencing the most dominant stretch of her collegiate softball career. The senior backstop has bashed 11 home runs in UCLA's last 18 games, including a pair of two-homer performances this postseason. Six of those 11 home runs either tied the game or gave UCLA the lead. She enters her final WCWS appearance leading all players in the NCAA Tournament with five home runs and 13 runs batted in.
Defensively, Palacios has yet to commit an error in 304 total chances and played a massive role in mentoring UCLA's young pitching core of sophomore Taylor Tinsley and freshman Kaitlyn Terry. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for a third-straight season in 2024.
Brady, Palacios and the No. 6 seed Bruins open the Women's College World Series tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (PT)/11 a.m. (CT) against No. 14 seed Alabama at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Brady becomes the 11th three-time NFCA First Team All-American in program history and the third Bruin to accomplish the feat since the turn of the century. With Brady's award, UCLA raises its total to 76 First Team All-America selections.
Brady, the back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year, is leading the conference in batting average (.431), extra-base hits (31), runs batted in (68), runs scored (58) and total bases (135) for a second-straight season. She is on pace to become the sixth player in UCLA history to hit for a .400-plus average in back-to-back seasons and is the first UCLA player since Delaney Spaulding with 15-plus home runs in three consecutive seasons.
Brady enters her final WCWS with a .407 average (33-for-81), eight home runs and a .790 slugging percentage in 26 career postseason games. So far this postseason, she ranks second in the NCAA Tournament with a .688 average and 11 base hits.
The USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist has logged four multi-homer games for a second-straight season.
With runners in scoring position, Brady leads the nation with a .698 average (30-for-43), 1.256 slugging percentage and 52 RBI.
Brady is one of two players in program history to earn First Team All-America acclaim at two different positions (GiOnna DiSalvatore). The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native earned First Team honors at shortstop in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024 and was also named to the First Team in the outfield her redshirt freshman season in 2021.
Additionally, Brady is the first UCLA player to be named to the First Team at shortstop since Natasha Watley. Watley was a First Team All-American shortstop all four seasons from 2000-03. The only other UCLA player to be named a First Team All-American at shortstop was Dot Richardson all three seasons from 1981-83.
Palacios is the second UCLA catcher in the last three years to earn All-America status. Delanie Wisz was a Third Team selection in 2022. Palacios ranks first in the Pac-12 in both home runs (20) and slugging percentage (.876). The 20 homers are good for ninth-best in the NCAA while the .876 slugging mark is eighth-best. Palacios is the eighth Bruin in program history to record 20 home runs in a single season (11th time overall).
Palacios is currently experiencing the most dominant stretch of her collegiate softball career. The senior backstop has bashed 11 home runs in UCLA's last 18 games, including a pair of two-homer performances this postseason. Six of those 11 home runs either tied the game or gave UCLA the lead. She enters her final WCWS appearance leading all players in the NCAA Tournament with five home runs and 13 runs batted in.
Defensively, Palacios has yet to commit an error in 304 total chances and played a massive role in mentoring UCLA's young pitching core of sophomore Taylor Tinsley and freshman Kaitlyn Terry. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for a third-straight season in 2024.
Brady, Palacios and the No. 6 seed Bruins open the Women's College World Series tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (PT)/11 a.m. (CT) against No. 14 seed Alabama at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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