Maya Brady is...
- Softball America freshman of the year
- A left-handed hitter with big power
- "The future of
@UCLASoftball
"
Oh yeah, Tom Brady's niece too.
Meet the most dominant athlete in the Brady family:
Chip Kelly on UCLA's last game in the Pac-12: "It's sad. ... The fact that there’s not going to be a Pac-12 next year, the fact that Washington State is not going to be a conference next year, the fact that Oregon State is not going to be in a conference next year, we failed."
UCLA gymnastics was celebrated as social justice champions last year. But what happened when the program got tested with its own incident of racism?
How the Bruins got to be at the center of a gymternet firestorm:
Jordin Canada on Destanni Henderson: "Even when she was in Indiana, she's shown that she can be in this league. ... She doesn't need to prove anything else and tonight showed that she's very capable of being in this league and we're grateful to have her here."
JuJu Watkins, when told her 42 points is the most points for a USC WBB player in Galen Center, she immediately asked, "Wait, what about men's?"
(It's 35 by Katin Reinhardt in 2015 and Boogie Ellis in 2023.)
JuJu: "Let's go, women."
UCLA is a rare quarter school so UCLA softball is going through finals during the World Series. Briana Perez said she has a 30-page paper due for her master's program. Megan Faraimo has a final due tomorrow at noon. The Bruins play Texas tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT.
Caleb Williams leads the USC marching band after USC's 48-45 win over UCLA. The Bruins are out of the Pac-12 championship hunt. The Trojans punch their ticket to Las Vegas.
Men have tried out for the UCLA dance team before but Devin Mallory is the only one to pass the two-day audition. A trained hip hop dancer, Mallory got ready for the audition by teaching himself the team's jazz/cheer style through YouTube.
How much does
@minakimes
(whose birthday is today!) love football?
Says
@PabloTorre
: "Her love of football is genuinely terrifying."
How that love affair turned into a successful career on ESPN:
Speaking of first-time All-Stars, Nneka said watching Aliyah Boston is like "witnessing the future of the league." Also shouted out
@dawnstaley
: "The players that come out of her program are amazing."
@GamecockWBB
alums Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson with the Sparks now too.
Let's make it
#TwitterOfficial
: I'll be starting with
@latimessports
next month as a reporter covering UCLA, USC and the NBA. Thanks to
@ajrod
and
@MikeHiserman
for this honor. I'm thrilled to join this incredible team of editors and reporters.
Kinsley Washington and her family pose on the field. Her dad James, former Rose Bowl-winning UCLA safety and Super Bowl champ, said he's never felt the types of emotions he was feeling tonight watching Kinsley drive in the game-winning run.
Utah rallies for a 43-42 win over USC to hand the Trojans their first loss of the year. Caleb Williams' last pass falls incomplete and the fans storm the field.
Get you a coach who can do both:
@BeeJayDas
can choreograph and back-up dance.
Happy homecoming to the UCLA volunteer assistant coach who was a gymnast at UW.
Jordan Chiles, who went to nationals as an individual last year: "The whole year, I was telling Janelle, I'm not going to nationals by myself again. I'm not. I'm no doing it!"
Selena Harris whispers: "I would have been there if you went to nationals."
Katelyn Ohashi comes home and scores another perfect 10 on floor in UCLA's win over UW and Kyla Ross notches the highest all-around score in the nation behind her first-ever 10 on vault
Miss Val's last dance at Pauley Pavilion with
@uclagymnastics
was perfect because she got to dance among her past and present gymnasts (and Ken Jeong) (📸 Tracey Roman)
In the past year, Josh Woods suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, lost a friend to suicide, recovered from his shoulder injury then blew out his knee. If there's ever an example of strength, it's
@_WOODSY_J
The fan walked in and was still in the process of unrolling her sign and holding it up when Sue saw her, gave her a wink and started walking over immediately. Sue autographed her jersey and the fan was left wiping a few tears away.
"She’s the beam queen."
Norah Flatley takes the crown in her first beam routine of the year, helping
@uclagymnastics
advance to tomorrow's NCAA regional final. But the hard work is just beginning.
Fred Williams called the Sparks' schedule "one of the toughest schedules in the history of the WNBA.” Then add in all-season flight delays and cancelations? No wonder why the Sparks looked exhausted in last night's blowout loss
"That’s what she taught us.”
@uclagymnastics
didn't have the result it wanted, but the Bruins honored
@OfficialMissVal
by going out with no regrets and a dance
FINAL: UCLA crushes USC 62-33 after a standout performance from Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who scored six touchdowns. How are you feeling, friends? Tell me in a GIF
The Victory Bell is in UCLA's possession, but not yet painted. It will be painted blue today. When UCLA had it last in 2018-19, it was displayed in the lobby of the Wasserman Center.
.
@uclagymnastics
is hosting a Childhood Cancer Awareness meet tomorrow. Meet their inspiration, 1-year-old Liam, Mercedez Sanchez's little brother who is fighting AML
It's the first time
@UCLAWBB
and
@USCWBB
have played each other while undefeated and the first time they've been in the top 10 since 1981.
What to watch in this *epic* matchup
If this is the end, then it's perfect for Nia Dennis.
The
@uclagymnastics
senior dusted off an old trick and competed alongside Chae Campbell and Margzetta Frazier at NCAAs as the Bruins made another statement for
#BlackExcellence
Katelyn Ohashi through tears to the crowd: "If it weren’t for Miss Val, the sport wouldn’t be what it was today. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be the person I am today and if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t even be a gymnast today."
THE FEELINGS
"You should be able to strive and attempt to do the things that you love."
Meet Devin Mallory, the first male member of UCLA's dance team.
@UCLASpiritSquad
They're not courtside, but seniors from UCLA band, cheer and dance can still get their March Madness experience thanks to an assist from Martin Jarmond.
"I feel like my calling in life is to inspire little girls who look like me."
Natalie Chou is trying to help
@UCLAWBB
break through to the Final Four while being a role model for Asians.
#StopAsianHate
They're ready to help UCLA win a championship. But
@IzzyAnstey
and
@GemmaPotter17
have to get into the country first.
How COVID-19 is impacting some international athletes and why they're taking DHS/ICE to court for the right to join their teams
Onyeka Okongwu keeps the memory of his older brother Nnamdi alive through the bracelet he wears, his jersey number and most importantly his play on the court. On USC's star freshman:
"You think it's a championship machine. But we are so much more than that. … The Bruin Bubble is family.” How
@UCLASoftball
used its small but mighty cheering section to overcome hometown Oklahoma and win the NCAA title
We had the Kelce Brothers. Now the Frazier sisters.
For the first time,
@MargzettaF
and
@EmjaeFrazier
will compete head-to-head for
@uclagymnastics
and
@CalWGym
. How the family is handling a meet that was never supposed to happen.
"I’m happy that everybody else in the world can see her shine.”
It took Lexie Brown four teams in five WNBA seasons, but the sharp-shooting guard has finally found a home with the
@LASparks
Regal, fierce, elegant, and most importantly, powerful.
@uclagymnastics
's leotards are always iconic, but the latest design for its Black Excellence meet has a message that goes deeper than just beauty.
The matchup is set: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2
@UCLASoftball
in the
#WCWS
championship series. How the Bruins got there on the arm and the bat of Rachel Garcia earlier today
Josh Rosen pilots a 99-yard touchdown drive for the Dolphins. He earned first 5 yards on a savvy hard count that got defense to jump, scrambled for two first downs and had a long pass for 39 yards. Troy Aikman can barely contain his UCLA pride in the broadcast booth
This was the last time Jordan Chiles will perform to her Olympic "Spider-Man" music. She said it made her a little emotional afterward knowing she's done with this routine. Her next one will be more spunky and upbeat, she said.
"It will be one of the most memorable moments in my coaching career.”
@uclagymnastics
introduced several rising stars in Saturday's win, but Sara Taubman's long-awaited debut was the key against Arizona State.
Living between homeless shelters, friends' houses and his car, Zaylon Thomas wasn't sure if he would graduate high school. Now he's thriving with
@UCLATrack_Field
.
How does
@uclagymnastics
recover from a leadoff fall? A lot of trust and a little bit of dancing. Bruins are going to keep dancing all the way to Fort Worth for nationals.
A comeback attempt fell short for
@uclagymnastics
, but the Bruins still had plenty to celebrate: a huge season high and Grace Glenn's LEAD-OFF 10 ON BEAM, the first in NCAA history.
"If anyone deserved to have something good happen right now in their lives, it was her."
Stars aligned for
@MercedezGymnast
's long-awaited senior meet in Pauley.
@SanJoseStateGYM
and
@uclagymnastics
celebrated the transfer who brings light amid a dark year
Selena Harris
✅️ Pac-12 freshman of the year
✅️ Perfect 10
✅️ Helps
@uclagymnastics
into nationals
@helenenothelen
on a star we'll be watching for years
Dearica Hamby (special guest appearance from Legend) on Nneka Ogwumike being named an All-Star starter: "Being around Nneka this season, more so the person she is ... that speaks volumes more than just the kind of player she is."
A tough update to share: Liam, the inspiration for
@uclagymnastics
' childhood cancer awareness meet last season, has passed away after a battle with leukemia. He was 2 years old.
Pac-12 team title ✅
Pac-12 individual titles ✅✅✅✅✅
Perfect 10s ✅✅✅
Highest score in the country this year ✅
Big meet, big performance from
@uclagymnastics
today
“It just felt like I was being celebrated."
@KalyanySteele
marked Pride Month this year in a big way: The
@uclagymnastics
freshman came out as bisexual, becoming an LGBTQ role model in a sport that often lacks in representation
A perfect 10 on the scoreboard, more than 50 million views on social media. How Katelyn Ohashi used more than just floor routines to find her joy, freedom and fame with
@uclagymnastics
Megan Faraimo: excellent
@UCLASoftball
pitcher with amazing gymnastics showmanship.
@uclagymnastics
, you might need to clear some space on the roster.
How
@uclagymnastics
turned into the internet's favorite college gymnastics team this year and how the Bruins have handled the attention while chasing an NCAA title
GOAT 🤝 Baby GOAT
Rachel Garcia is often compared to her coach Lisa Fernandez. Those are some sky-high expectations. But Garcia has soared past them as
@UCLASoftball
hunts another NCAA title.
"She will be considered to be one of the best [at UCLA]."
After leading
@UCLASoftball
to a national title, Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles are taking on an even bigger stage: Tokyo 2020 with
@USASoftball
“They’re not just a now part of USA softball, they’re also the future part of what’s going to go on.”
No. 118 is one win away. How
@UCLASoftball
overcame a "horrific" batting practice to crush the top-ranked Sooners in Game 1 of the
#WCWS
championship series.
Chennedy Carter said her main plan for the offseason is "getting my mentals right." Said she's been speaking to a therapist with encouragement from friends, coaches, other players.
Stanford transfer Lauren Betts commits to UCLA. 6-7 center was the No. 1 prospect in 2022 recruiting class and now joins Kiki Rice, who the No. 2 player. Betts also played for Cori Close on Team USA's U19 World Cup team in 2021
No cheering in the press box except when it's Tim Tessalone's last home football game. With Tim retiring at the end of the year, AD Mike Bohn unveiled this plaque in the press box before tonight's game and arranged for Tim's family to surprise him. 🐐
It's not just sports that run in Maya's family, it's softball specifically: Her mom Maureen was an All-American pitcher at Fresno State who went to the WCWS twice. "Mo" was a scrappy right-hander. Now she's Maya's best friend.
After losing its chance to defend its NCAA title and seeing the Olympics postponed, the announcement that Rachel Garcia and Bubba Nickles would be returning next year was a much-needed "pick-me-up" for
@UCLASoftball
"It’s something I’ve always dreamed of.”
This wasn't
@ChilesJordan
's first perfect 10 for
@uclagymnastics
, but it may have been her most meaningful because it was the first she got to share in person with her mom.
Jordan. Chiles.
UCLA and the Bruin faithful react as she gets a massive 10 to finish a must-hit floor rotation. UCLA went 49.7 on floor and needed every tenth of it.
“We’re fighters."
@uclagymnastics
battled back from a two-tenth deficit to punch its ticket to nationals in the first year under
@Janel2001
. See you in Fort Worth, friends.
Since I'm going to be cranking the Twitter machine back up, here's a personal PSA:
-- My name is Thuc Nhi, not Thuc. It's pronounced "Too-k Knee"
-- No, I didn't go to UCLA
-- Please subscribe to a
@SoCalNewsGroup
paper to read my stories
Thanks for coming to my TED talk.