Maya Moore

Moore was born on June 11, 1989, in Jefferson City, Missouri. She is the daughter of Kathryn Moore. Georgia Metros Maya Moore played for the Georgia Metros 16U Nike Travel Team in both 2005 and 2006. The Georgia Metros went 73–6 in those two travel seasons, and Maya led them to four National Championships: The AAU 16U National Championship in Orlando (where she was the MVP, as a 15-year-old) in 2005; the US Junior Nationals Championship in DC, twice, in both 2005 and 2006; and the Nike Nationals Championship in 2006. Notable teammates while with the Georgia Metros included Kelly Cain (Tennessee), Ashley Houts (Georgia), Alicia Manning (Tennessee), Morgan Toles (Auburn/FSU), Charenee Stephens (South Carolina), Taylor Turnbow (LSU), Jordan Greenleaf (Auburn), and D'Andra Moss (VCU). ==College career==

Freshman year Moore was unanimously selected as the Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches. On November 11, 2007, Moore made her collegiate debut for UConn, recording 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 98–35 win over Stony Brook. Moore scored 678 points, the most by a freshman in program history. She also set six UConn freshman records. After leading UConn to the Big East regular-season title, she was named a unanimous Big East Freshman of the Year and became the first freshman, male or female, to be named the Big East Player of the Year. She was also a unanimous first-team All-Big East and Big East All-Freshman Team selection. Moore was a 10-time Big East Freshman of the Week, setting a conference record. In the Final Four, Moore recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in an 82–73 loss to Stanford and finished the season with a 36–2 record. Moore was a unanimous first-team All-American: she earned first-team All-American honors from the AP and the USBWA, and made the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches' All-America Team. Additionally, she was awarded the USBWA National Freshman of the Year presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association. Sophomore year On November 16, 2008, Moore made her sophomore season debut, recording 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in an 82–71 win over Georgia Tech. On January 17, 2009, she posted 40 points and 13 rebounds in a 107–53 win over Syracuse. Moore became fastest UConn player to reach 1,000 career points and set the mark for number of 3-point field goals made in the Big East history at 10. At the end of the regular season, she was unanimously named Big East Player of the Year and first-team All-Big East by the league's coaches and media. In the Big East Tournament, Moore averaged 21.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.3 blocks. She was named most outstanding player (MOP) of the tournament. Moore helped lead her team to an undefeated 39–0 season and the 2009 National Championship, and was named to the 2009 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team. Moore won the AP Player of the Year (first sophomore to win the award), Naismith College Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award and the Wade Trophy. She was a unanimous first-team All-American for a second straight season, earning first-team recognition from the AP and USBWA and making the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team. Junior year Moore led her team to a second straight undefeated 39–0 season and the 2010 National Championship. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. On March 7, Moore recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals in a 77–41 win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Big East tournament. She became the fifth player in school history to score 2,000 points. Moore was awarded the Wade Trophy as the best women's college basketball player in NCAA Division I. Senior year In her final year at UConn, Moore posted career highs in scoring (22.3 ppg), assists (4.1 apg) and steals (2.2 spg). On March 29, Moore became the first player in school history to reach 3,000 points. She won her second Naismith College Player of the Year award, her third straight Wade Trophy (only player in history – freshmen are not eligible for this award), Moore was also an impressive college student: she graduated with a 3.7 GPA, earning the Elite 88 Award, and was named Cosida Academic All-America First-Team in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Cosida Academic All-America of the Year in 2010 and 2011 (1st player to ever repeat) and All-sports Academic All-America of the Year in 2011. After graduation, Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx as the first overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft (fourth time for a Husky), also becoming the first female basketball player signed to the Jordan Brand. ==Professional career==

Maya Moore's professional career, like her high school and college career, has been filled with championships. In her first three years, she made three WNBA finals, one Eurobasket final, and two WCBA finals, and won five of the six possible championships she could have. Along the way, she has established herself as one of the best professional women's players in the game. In 2015, she won the WNBA All-Star MVP award. This makes her one of only three players, the others being Lisa Leslie, and Candace Parker who have won the MVP award for the WNBA regular-season, the WNBA finals, and the All-Star game. She joined a team that already featured talented players like Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson, and Seimone Augustus, and helped the Lynx to their best record in franchise history, as well as the best record in the WNBA. Moore was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for July and August, and played in the WNBA All-Star Game. Though Moore admitted that she struggled at times to adapt to the extraordinary level of talent in the WNBA, her play still earned her Rookie of the Year honors. During the playoffs, Moore was her team's second-leading scorer. She led her team in scoring once, in the final game of the Western Conference finals, when she poured in 21 points, including six three-pointers. In October 2011, Maya became only the second player in league history to win Rookie of the Year honors and a WNBA championship in the same year. 2012–2013: More championship contention and Finals MVP season In 2012, Moore helped the Lynx begin the season with a 10–0 run, the best start in WNBA history. The Lynx went on to equal 2011's 27–7 mark, finishing as the top seed in the WNBA Playoffs for a second straight year. The Lynx advanced to the 2012 WNBA Finals, for the second straight season, but fell to the Indiana Fever. In 2013, Moore elevated her game, she led the Lynx in points, and became the first player in WNBA history to lead the league in both three-point field goals and three-point shooting percentage. Moore was twice selected WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month, and three times selected WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week. Meanwhile, the Lynx once again had the best record in the WNBA, finishing 26–8. The Lynx swept through the playoffs, winning their second WNBA championship. Moore was named WNBA Finals MVP, leading her team in scoring two of the three games in the Finals. 2014: MVP season In the fourth game of the 2014 season, Moore set a new WNBA record by scoring 30 or more points in four consecutive games. On July 22, 2014, Maya scored a career-high 48 points, the second highest single-game total in WNBA history. She also had another 40-point game just a week later. She then set a WNBA record by scoring 30+ points in twelve games in one season. She would end up averaging a career-high 23.9 points per game and for the first time in her career, Moore won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award. Minnesota entered the playoffs as the number 2 seed in the Western Conference. They had a record of 25–9, the 2nd best record in the Western Conference and also the entire WNBA. They played the number 3 seed of the Western Conference, the San Antonio Stars, in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Lynx swept the Stars 2–0. Then they faced the number 1 overall seeded Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Finals. They lost Game 1 85–71, as Maya scored fewer than 10 points for the first and only time the entire season. But in Game 2, she rebounded with 32 points and led her team to an 82–77 victory. They played in Phoenix for the 3rd and final game, and lost 96–78, failing to make the WNBA Finals for the 1st time in 4 seasons. 2015: All-Star MVP season and third championship Prior to the 2015 season, Moore re-signed with the Lynx to a multi-year deal once her rookie contract expired. In the 2015 season, Moore was named to the 2015 WNBA All-Star Game and was awarded MVP after scoring a WNBA All-Star Game record, 30 points. Midway through the season, the Lynx had traded for Sylvia Fowles to bolster the Lynx's roster at the center position. The Lynx were first place in the Western Conference, advanced all the way to the finals and won its third WNBA championship in five years by beating the Indiana Fever, three games to two. One of the memorable highlights of the finals was in Game 3 where Moore hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. She was also named to the All-WNBA First Team in 2015. 2016–2017: Finals loss and fourth championship In 2016, Moore was chosen to the WNBA Top 20@20, a list of the league's best 20 players ever in celebration of the WNBA's twentieth anniversary. She was the youngest of the 20 winners. During the 2016 season, Moore averaged 19.3 points per game and the Lynx remained a potent, championship contending team, finishing with a new franchise best 28–6 record. With the WNBA's new playoff format in effect, the Lynx were the number 1 seed in the league with a double-bye to the semi-finals (the last round before the WNBA Finals) facing the Phoenix Mercury. The Lynx defeated the Mercury in a 3-game sweep, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the fifth time in six years. The Lynx were up against the Los Angeles Sparks, making it the second time in league history where two teams from the same conference faced each other in the Finals due to the new playoff format. During a loss in Game 1, Moore passed Diana Taurasi for most points scored in WNBA Finals history (262). Facing a 2–1 deficit, Moore took over in Game 4, scoring a game-high 31 points to lead the Lynx to an 85–79 win, forcing a Game 5. The Lynx would end up losing Game 5 77–76 off a game-winning shot by Nneka Ogwumike as the Sparks became 2016 WNBA Champions. In the 2017 season, Moore was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game, making it her fifth all-star game appearance. Moore won her second All-Star MVP award after scoring a team-high 23 points for the Western Conference All-Stars team in a 130–121 victory. With Fowles being the more focal point of the Lynx's offense, Moore would be the second highest scoring player on the team with 17.3 ppg. On August 12, 2017, the Lynx made history as they defeated the Indiana Fever 111–52, marking it the largest margin of victory in WNBA history, they also exploded on a league record 40–0 scoring run during the game. The Lynx once again finished as the number 1 seed in the league with a 27–7 record, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Lynx defeated the Washington Mystics in a 3-game sweep, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the sixth time in seven years, setting up a rematch with the Sparks. The Lynx would avenge the previous season's Finals loss, defeating the Sparks in five games to win their fourth WNBA championship in seven years, tying the now-defunct Houston Comets for most championship titles. 2018–2022: New challenges and retirement On July 22, 2018, Moore scored a season-high 38 points in an 80–75 victory over the Mercury. In the 2018 season, Moore was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game and would win her third All-Star MVP award, after leading Team Parker to a 119–112 victory with 18 points. Moore led the team in scoring with 18 ppg as the Lynx finished with number 7 seed with an 18–16 record. This was first time in 8 years where the Lynx did not finish as a top 2 seed in the league. They would face off against the Los Angeles Sparks in the first round elimination game, they lost 75–68, ending their run of three consecutive finals appearances. In February 2019, Moore wrote for ''The Players' Tribune'' that she would miss the upcoming season to focus on family and ministry dreams. In January 2020, she announced that she would once again miss the upcoming WNBA season as well as the 2020 Olympic games in order to focus on her advocacy for criminal justice reform. From 2019 to 2023, Moore took a hiatus from her WNBA career to focus on reform in the American justice system. On January 16, 2023, Moore announced on Good Morning America that she was officially retiring from basketball. EuroLeague and China 2011–2012: EuroLeague and Spanish champions Moore signed with the Spanish club Ros Casares Valencia for the 2011–2012 season. She joined the team late due to her title run with the Lynx. In 10 EuroLeague Women games, Moore averaged 12.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists, helping Ros Casares win its first ever EuroLeague championship on April 1, 2012. Three weeks later, Ros Casares also won the Spanish domestic league (Liga Femenina de Baloncesto) title, with Moore scoring a team-high 20 points in the April 24 final. The win over Perfumerías Avenida also revenged the March loss in the Copa de la Reina (Queen's Cup) final, when Moore scored a game-high 24. . 2012–2015: 3-peats in China In 2012, Moore signed with the Chinese club Shanxi Flame, playing under Spanish coach Lucas Mondelo. It was the club's first year in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association, and they started the season 0–2 with American import Ebony Hoffman. As soon as Moore arrived and replaced Hoffman (since the league only allows 1 non-Asian player per team), the team won 10 in a row. In her third game, she had 60 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks and 5 steals against Yunnan. Moore finished her first season in Shanxi averaging 37.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.5 steals per game, leading the Flame to the championship in a 3–1 series over Zhejiang. In Moore's second year with Shanxi, she again took her team to the finals, averaging 43.3 points per game in a 3–1 series win over Beijing. It was Moore's fifth professional championship in three years. For the season she averaged 39.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.3 steals per game. In the 2014–2015 season, Shanxi won its third straight title, beating the Brittney Griner-led Beijing 3–1 in the finals after dropping the first game. She averaged 30.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.6 steals per game for the season Despite the language barrier Moore is well-liked in Shanxi, not solely for her on-court dominance but also for her humility and friendly interactions with fans, who called her the "Invincible Queen" (不败女王). 2018: Return to the EuroLeague and Second Championship On January 2, 2018, Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg announced that Maya Moore had joined their team for the remainder of the 2017/2018 EuroLeague season. Moore would go on to average 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists with UMMC. UMMC would win each of their final six games of the regular season. On April 22, UMMC won the EuroLeague Championship, with Moore scoring 17 points, dishing out 7 assists, and recording 4 steals in the final game. United States national team Moore was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009, one of only three college players and the only junior to be invited to the training camp. Moore won the gold medal with the team in 2014, having now won 3 gold medals with the U.S. team. She was named to the all-tournament team and won the tournament MVP award. USA Basketball named Moore to the squad that would play at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which would be her second Olympic tournament. Moore earned her second gold medal, helping the US overcome Spain 101–72 in the final. == Basketball statistics ==

High school Over four seasons, Moore played in 128 games and averaged 19.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. College Source WNBA Regular season Postseason == Social justice activism ==

in Washington, D.C. in 2019. On July 9, 2016, Moore spoke along with co-captain Rebekkah Brunson at a news conference about the warm up shirts the Minnesota Lynx wore that day to highlight Black Lives Matter and call for change. The black shirts said "Change starts with us - Justice and Accountability" on the front; the back of the shirts had the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, who had been killed in confrontations with police that week. The shirts also included the Dallas police shield to recognize the recent mass shooting in that Texas city where five police officers were killed following a Black Lives Matter demonstration. The Lynx shirts and news conference were an early Black Lives Matter protest among athletes. In 2017, Moore started Win with Justice to advocate for prosecutorial reform. Writers Chris Herring and Neil Paine recounted her amazing basketball record through her departure from basketball in 2019 and noted that "Moore is special because she could have gone about her business as one of the best players in WNBA history, but instead she chose to lend her voice and platform to victims of injustice." They noted her place as one of the top civil rights voices among athletes. In July 2021, ESPN Films released Breakaway about Moore and her social justice advocacy as part of their 30 for 30 series. Robin Roberts was the executive producer of the film. Moore won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage in 2021 for her work on criminal justice reform. Moore is also an advocate for the End It movement, which seeks to end modern slavery. Moore was also involved in freeing her now-husband, Jonathan Irons, from prison. Wrongfully convicted, Irons served 22 years of a 50-year conviction before being freed at age 40. ==Personal life==

Moore is a Christian. Moore has spoken about her faith, saying "Even though I've got a lot of awards and honors, it's nothing compared to what The Lord has done to my heart and what He's done for the world" and "I'm grateful to have the platform of an elite student-athlete and professional basketball player, and I want to do His will with my life." Influenced by her godparents, Moore advocates for prosecutorial reform in the American justice system. Specifically, she pressed for the release of Jonathan Irons from the Jefferson City Correctional Center. Irons was serving a 50-year sentence begun when he was 16 years old. Moore took a sabbatical from basketball in 2019 and 2020, hoping to secure his release. Irons was released July 1, 2020. In September 2020, Moore told Good Morning America that she and Irons had gotten married "a couple of months ago". On July 5, 2022, Moore announced the birth of their first child, a son named Jonathan Irons Jr. In 2023, the two published a book, Love and Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts. Moore was the subject of an ESPN Sports Science video clip, discussing her vertical leap, court vision, and muscle memory. They discussed her ability to steal, noting that she can move her hands faster than the striking speed of a rattlesnake. In November 2016, Moore joined the UNICEF Kid Power philanthropic initiative, participating as one of the UNICEF Kid Power Champions; Moore joined a mission to Haiti that year. Moore's father, Mike Dabney, who was not part of her life growing up, played collegiate basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team that reached the Final Four at the 1976 NCAA Division I basketball tournament. He was chosen 36th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the third round of the 1976 NBA draft, though he did not play in the NBA. Through her father, Moore has a half-sister, Ashley Dabney, who was a college senior and track and field athlete at Maryland's Towson University in 2012. Also through her father, Moore has a ten-years younger half-sister, Olivia Dabney, who was a high school basketball player and All-Sophomore/Freshman First Team selection at New Jersey's Rutgers Preparatory School, and went on to play four years with the Division I Sacred Heart Pioneers. == Filmography ==

2014 The Single Moms Club as Evelyn Owens ==Awards and honors==

• She was named to the U.S. U-18 National Team in 2006, and helped that team qualify for the 2007 U19 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia. • In 2008, she became the first freshman in Big East Basketball history (men or women) to be named as the Big East Player of the Year. • Through Moore's two seasons at UConn, Moore had only three games where she did not reach double digits. Those games are a 7-point performance vs. Pittsburgh on March 10, 2008, 7 points vs. Rutgers on April 1, 2008, and 8 points vs. Villanova on February 24, 2009. • Moore also broke the UConn single-season record for most points as a freshman (678) breaking the mark set by Svetlana Abrosimova, who had 538 in 1997–98. • Scored her 1,000th career point on January 20, 2009 (in just her 55th game at UConn) at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut while scoring 40 points over the Syracuse Orange. The previous UConn record for the fewest games needed to reach 1,000 points was 63 by Svetlana Abrosimova. • Maya Moore becomes UConn's all-time single-season scoring leader with 712 points, 2007 • Naismith National Girls' High School Player of the Year • WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team • WBCA High School Game MVP (Red team) 2015 • WNBA Champion • 2015 WNBA All-Star • WNBA All-Star Game MVP • All-WNBA First Team 2016 • ESPY for Best WNBA Player • All-WNBA First Team • Olympic Gold Medalist • All-WNBA First Team 2017 • WNBA Champion • All-WNBA First Team • WNBA All-Defensive Second Team • Western Conference All-Star • WNBA All-Star Game MVP 2021 • Arthur Ashe Courage Award 2023 • All-25 Team, Minnesota Lynx 2024 • Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame • Number 23 jersey retired by the Minnesota Lynx. 2025 • To be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ==See also==