After leading Stanford to back-to-back WCWS appearances, Canady entered the transfer portal.
The move sent shockwaves through the sport, driven largely by NIL considerations as Stanford appeared to lag behind in retaining top talent.
At Texas Tech, Canady helped coach Gerry Glasco put the Red Raiders on the map.
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She single-handedly pitched Texas Tech to its first-ever WCWS and WCWS finals appearances last season while finishing as a finalist for Player of the Year.
This season, her workload decreased slightly with Kaitlyn Terry joining the rotation, but her efficiency remained high.
Canady enters the WCWS finals against No. 2 Texas after a complete-game shutout of No. 1 Alabama with six strikeouts.
Her career resume includes 104 wins, over 1,100 strikeouts, and a record as the first pitcher in WCWS history to throw multiple shutouts with multiple teams.
NIL Impact and Hitting Opportunity
Canady received a lucrative one-year, $1.05 million NIL contract to transfer from Stanford to Texas Tech.
But the decision was not solely financial; Texas Tech offered her the chance to hit, something she rarely did at Stanford.
Last season, she recorded a career-high 108 at-bats with the Red Raiders, batting . 278 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.
Her at-bats have decreased this season, with only 40 entering the WCWS finals.
Canady has signed two seven-figure NIL deals with Texas Tech.
Before Game 3 of the WCWS finals last season, she re-signed on another contract worth over $1 million for her senior year.
She recently became the third college player to sign an NIL deal with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
Canady received one of the AUSL's "Golden Tickets" for its college draft and was selected by the Texas Volts with the No. 2 pick.
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As her collegiate career concludes, Canady hopes to add "Women's College World Series national champion" to her list of accolades.
