She grew up in Palmdale, California, and came to UCLA as a pitcher with a strong amateur pedigree. Her development under coach Kelly Inouye-Perez produced one of the more complete players the college game had seen in years, and the back-to-back national championships in 2018 and 2019 were built substantially around what she provided on both sides of the ball. She joined Team USA's pipeline and was part of the roster that traveled to Tokyo for the 2020 Games, held in 2021, where the United States won silver. The gold went to Japan on their home soil. Garcia pitched in the tournament and was one of the central figures on a team that had carried the expectations of a sport trying to reestablish its Olympic presence after the program had been cut following Beijing 2008.

She has spoken about her faith as a grounding force in how she approaches competition and the pressures that come with performing at the highest level of the sport. Her family has been a consistent presence throughout her career. After Tokyo she continued with the professional softball circuit and remained connected to Team USA's program as the sport worked toward its next Olympic appearance.