The 2026 season was a distinctive one for the Oklahoma City Spark, fitting for the most unique team in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
The franchise entered the league as an existing club with a three-year history as part of last year’s two-team expansion. General Manager Kirk Walker built the team pick by pick in an expansion, allocation, and college draft, putting together a squad that went 13-12 and missed the postseason by one game.
They were the most explosive offense that tried to outhit the worst team ERA. Walker is excited to return most of that lineup and intends to make moves in the circle to not only make them a 2027 contender but build the franchise’s future.
Pitching Woes
Discussing the Spark’s season feels like asking, “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Walker’s outlook and expectations for OKC were realistic and overwhelmingly positive, so we’ll end on a high note and start with the challenges.
The Spark had three pitchers miss preseason camp and two weeks of the regular season due to obligations to their teams in the Japan Diamond League. That left the team starting the first 10 games of the season with an all-rookie pitching staff. Missing those key veterans and the full-time rostered players created a fragmented season.
“As a team it was cohesive, but as a pitching staff it was a challenge,” Walker said. “There was no transition… And so we kind of had to go backwards and start again with building a culture, a bullpen.”
Walker was honest in saying it affected the team’s morale and energy for a handful of games, but after open conversations, the group came out strong. That shift showed in the wins-loss column and the stat sheet.
In June, the team was 5-9 compared to an 8-3 record in July that included a five-game win streak.
“I think had we been that team starting day one, we might not have been worried about the last game getting us into the postseason. I think we would have been in a position where we would have been probably several games up,” Walker said.
Grein and another potential arm
A majority of the Sparks’ offseason changes will happen in the circle. The team released Peja Goold but will return Jailyn Ford, Maya Johnson, Alana Vawter, and Maddie Penta. They also added Lyndsey Grein, who appeared in seven games as a Reserve Pool Player. The Spark selected Grein in the 2026 AUSL College Draft as one of their provisional picks, so while she wasn’t a full-time rostered player last year, the team had rights to sign her.
The addition of Grein as a full-time Spark player “is going to be a huge impact and boost from the get-go,” Walker said.
Grein had an impressive rookie campaign. She posted a 2-1 record and a 2.28 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched.
“You know, Lyndsey’s a competitor. I’ve coached against her very closely while I was at UCLA and admire her so much and her grit – and she brought that.”
Walker also shared that he would be open to carrying another pitcher, bringing the team to six total.
“We might not be opposed to carrying a little bit larger pitching roster so that we can navigate some of the JDL issues… I think that we’ll have the depth that it’s not going to require us to have a lot of fill-ins, because we’re going to be able to navigate it with the roster that we have.”
An impressive core, and more, return
Alright, time for the good news.
As a team, the Spark led the league in team slugging, OPS, and home runs. It wasn’t even close in most of these categories either. The Spark were the only team with a SLG% over .500, and their 39 homers were 12 more than the next team (the Carolina Blaze had 27).
Three out of the top six home run leaders are Spark athletes, and they all return next season (Maya Brady, Sydney Romero, and Delanie Wisz).
Then there’s Sydney McKinney, who has established herself as an on-base machine and a Swiss Army knife. She was sixth in average (.370) and ninth in on-base percentage (.426). Amari Harper also had a wildly successful rookie season. During the All-Star Cup, she paced the best 60 athletes in batting average, posting .368 in eight games
The Spark were also one of the best teams defensively. They led the league with a .980 fielding percentage. Romero earned the Rawlings Gold Glove as the everyday starter at shortstop. Sydney Sherrill was her counterpart at second base, and the pair created a lock-down middle infield. Bubba Nickles-Camarena is an Olympic outfielder, and despite a down year offensively, her numbers started to resurge during the All-Star Cup.
“We believe our core starting roster, defensively and offensively, is the best in the league,” Walker said.
Every general manager likely feels that way about their team, but Walker has a strong case. The Spark lineup and defensive alignment are incredibly complete; it’s only October, and you could write their starting roster with no holes.
Returning “the QB” of the staff
The Spark missed catcher Kinzie Hansen-McKinzie, who elected the AUSL’s Pregnancy Policy, in 2026. The team rotated in rookie Reserve Pool Players and Delanie Wisz (who primarily plays at corner infield) as catchers in her absence.
Walker said Hansen-McKinzie is expected to return for the 2027 season and was involved with the team throughout the summer.
That return will bring a steady presence behind the dish, whom Walker described as the team’s quarterback, and an anchor like her brings guidance and stability to the staff.
Hansen-McKinzie was the team’s No. 1 overall pick in the Expansion Draft. She is not only one of the league’s most experienced catchers, but also brings strong ties to OKC’s franchise history.
We have to talk about Maya Brady
If you missed the tear that Brady has been on over the last year, you’ve been living under a rock. But for fun, let’s recap.
Two years ago, during the inaugural season, she missed June with the Talons due to injury. Once she finally made her debut, she batted a perfect 1.000 in her first 10 plate appearances, going 7-for-7 with three walks. It left us wondering what kind of damage Brady might have done with more time left in the season. We got that answer this season.
Brady opened 2026 with a grand slam in OKC’s first game. She proceeded to lead the league with 11 home runs. Her slash line for the year was .403/.481/.985 with an OPS of 1.466.
Over the past two months, she’s competed with Team USA, and her star power has only shone brighter. She won tournament MVP at the USA Softball International Cup in August and led the team to a gold medal on home soil. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage in September. She batted .647 (11-for-17) with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs across a 6-0 week.
Brady’s elite performance doesn’t shock Walker, who has known her for much of her life, including as a coach while she was at UCLA.
“All the physical things – the home runs, the clutch hitting, all that explosiveness – none of that is surprising to me. I think that I’ve really been so impressed with what I’ve seen over the last… 12 to 15 months. And in that period of time, there’s been a maturing of her leadership and her clarity as an athlete: what’s important to her and what she wants to attain.”
Walker shared that anyone who has spent time with Brady knows the levity and carefree attitude she brings. She’s never been the athlete staring at the stat sheet or mapping out achievements to tick off.
“But for the first time, in my opinion, I’ve seen her consistently become that really determined athlete with a confidence and a belief that she will execute and will put in the time and effort that it needs to get done, to succeed. And that’s a new twist to her unbelievable athleticism that I think we’re seeing the result of. [I’m] incredibly proud of her. She’s like family to me. I’m so honored and excited that I get a chance to continue to be on her journey with her closely with the Spark.”
What’s next until 2027 Opening Day
Right now, the Spark have 13 players signed to their roster. The team released three players, and Jessi Warren did not re-sign. The addition of Grein leaves three spots available for signings.
One of those could be another move in the circle. Most teams usually carry two catchers, so expect another pickup there, leaving a final roster spot for further depth.
Ending on a positive note as usual, Walker’s excitement about the Spark’s offseason moves was palpable.
“I’m looking forward to talking about some of those upcoming changes. These next couple of months for the Spark are definitely going to be one to watch,” Walker said.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @savvyco.
