There’s plenty of buzz around the pro pickleball WAGs (wives and girlfriends), but what about the BAHs (boyfriends and husbands)? Take Nick Black, for example — Maggie Brascia’s boyfriend — who frequently travels across the country with her for PPA tournaments.

Black recently opened up about how the two first met.

“She was already a pro before I met her, but I wasn’t actually aware of her until I went to St. George to watch my friend Hayden Patriquin play. He was playing mixed with Maggie. I thought she was cute, but I thought she was Hayden’s age because he’s a bit younger than us,” explained Black. 

“But then we looked at her DUPR, because DUPR never lies, and it said she was 20. I was so excited. I met her and her mom, and we played a little pickleball together. Then I followed her on Instagram, and she followed me back. Later, I found out that it was actually Mary who followed me back because she was playing matchmaker.”

They reconnected in early 2023 at Coachella, when both showed up at a mutual friend’s house for a casual game of backyard pickleball.

“I thought it was so cool when I found out she was a pro player, but that wasn’t what attracted me to her,” emphasized Black. “I always admired who she was.”

Black is a high-level pickleball player who recently transitioned into coaching, but he was no match for a pro the first time they faced off.

Brascia didn’t take it easy on him, either.

“She had no mercy on me. We call her the “silent assassin” on the court because she’s quiet, but deadly,” he mentioned. “She was actually very kind, though, because I think she was a little bit into me as well, so she was giving me charity games. Mainly we’d drill together. That was our bonding time.”

After about a month of dating, Black said Brascia began dropping subtle hints, nudging him to make their relationship official.

“She asked me, ‘Are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend?’” he shared. “I was hesitant because it’s a big deal asking somebody to be your girlfriend, but I eventually asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes.”

“I attend as many tournaments as I can to support her and her sisters,” said Black. “It’s great to be with her and help coach too.”

That kind of courtside support from loved ones is invaluable for pro players.

While her dad, Vinnie Brascia, serves as Maggie’s coach, Black is more than happy to be her source of mental and emotional support.

“Usually, I just tell her that she’s doing great, to stay confident, and to play her game. She’s a computer science major, so she’s obviously way smarter than I am. She’s very analytical, so she takes in information and goes into the match knowing what to do strategically,” he described. “I’m just there to keep her level-headed, but she’s very independent. She doesn’t need me much. I’m just there to be a cheerleader.”

Black concluded by saying that Brascia has brought an incredible amount of joy into his life.

“Honestly, we have such a great relationship, I’m super thankful for her,” he said. “She changed my life in so many ways, and enhanced my life in so many ways. My life was already pretty great, but she made it 100 times better.”

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