Maya Moore facts for kids
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Moore in 2019
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| Born | June 11, 1989 Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S. |
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| High school | Collins Hill (Suwanee, Georgia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | UConn (2007–2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Minnesota Lynx | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2011–2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Minnesota Lynx | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Ros Casares Valencia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Shanxi Flame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | UMMC Ekaterinburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Maya April Moore (born June 11, 1989) is an American social justice advocate and former professional basketball player. Many people consider her one of the greatest winners in women's basketball history. Moore was chosen for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. In 2025, she was also selected to join the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In high school, Moore was named the National Gatorade Player of the Year. She also won the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year award. She played forward for the UConn women's basketball team. There, she won two national championships in a row in 2009 and 2010. Moore led Connecticut to an undefeated national championship in 2009. She also helped extend their undefeated streak to a record 90 games.
Moore was the first player picked in the 2011 WNBA draft. She joined the Minnesota Lynx and won four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017). She also earned the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2014 and two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016). Moore also won championships in Spain and China. She is one of only 11 women to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA Championship.
Contents
Early Life and High School Success
Maya Moore was born on June 11, 1989, in Jefferson City, Missouri. She started playing basketball at age three. Her mother put a hoop on their apartment door.
High School Basketball Star
Moore was a four-year starter at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Her team had an amazing record of 125 wins and only 3 losses. In her junior year, she averaged 23.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. She was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was only the second junior ever to win this award.
As a senior, Moore averaged 25.5 points and 12.1 rebounds. She led her high school to three Georgia state titles. Her team also won the 2007 National Championship. Moore finished her high school career as Collins Hill's all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. She was also an excellent student, graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
College Career at UConn
Moore chose to play college basketball at the University of Connecticut (UConn).
Freshman Year Achievements
Moore was named the Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year. In her first college game, she scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She scored 678 points in her freshman year, which was a record for UConn freshmen. Moore was also named the Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year. This made her the first freshman, male or female, to win this award. She was a unanimous first-team All-American.
Sophomore Year and Undefeated Season
In her second year, Moore continued to shine. She scored 40 points in one game against Syracuse. Moore helped lead her team to an undefeated 39–0 season. They won the 2009 National Championship. She won many awards, including the Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year. She was the first sophomore to win this award.
Junior Year and Another Championship
Moore led her team to a second straight undefeated season (39–0) and the 2010 National Championship. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Moore became the fifth player in UConn history to score 2,000 points. She won the Wade Trophy as the best women's college basketball player.
Senior Year and College Records
In her final year at UConn, Moore had her best scoring season, averaging 22.3 points per game. She became the first player in school history to reach 3,000 points. Moore won her second Naismith College Player of the Year award. She also won her third straight Wade Trophy.
During her college career, Moore won 150 games and lost only four. She scored a total of 3,036 points. She is the only women's basketball player in Division I history to record 2,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists, 250 steals, and 150 blocked shots. Moore was also an excellent student, graduating with a 3.7 GPA.
Professional Basketball Career
Maya Moore's professional career was full of championships. She became one of the best women's players in the game.
WNBA Success and Championships
2011: Rookie of the Year and First Title
The Minnesota Lynx picked Moore as the first overall player in the 2011 WNBA draft. She joined a strong team and helped them achieve their best record ever. Moore was named WNBA Rookie of the Month twice. She also played in the WNBA All-Star Game. She earned the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. In October 2011, Maya became only the second player to win Rookie of the Year and a WNBA championship in the same year.
2012–2013: Finals MVP and Second Championship
In 2012, Moore helped the Lynx start the season with a 10–0 winning streak. This was the best start in WNBA history. The Lynx reached the 2012 WNBA Finals but lost to the Indiana Fever.
In 2013, Moore improved her game even more. She led the Lynx in points. She also became the first WNBA player to lead the league in both three-point shots made and three-point shooting percentage. The Lynx had the best record in the WNBA again. They won their second WNBA championship. Moore was named WNBA Finals MVP.
2014: WNBA MVP Season
In 2014, Moore set a new WNBA record by scoring 30 or more points in four games in a row. On July 22, 2014, she scored a career-high 48 points. This was the second-highest single-game total in WNBA history. She ended up averaging a career-high 23.9 points per game. For the first time, Moore won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award.
2015: All-Star MVP and Third Championship
Before the 2015 season, Moore signed a new contract with the Lynx. She was named to the 2015 WNBA All-Star Game and won the MVP award. She scored a record 30 points in that game. The Lynx won their third WNBA championship in five years. In Game 3 of the Finals, Moore made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
2016–2017: Finals Rematch and Fourth Championship
In 2016, Moore was chosen for the WNBA Top 20@20 list. This list celebrated the league's best 20 players ever. She was the youngest player on the list. The Lynx had a great season with a 28–6 record. They reached the WNBA Finals for the fifth time in six years. They faced the Los Angeles Sparks but lost in a close Game 5.
In 2017, Moore was voted into her fifth All-Star game. She won her second All-Star MVP award. The Lynx finished as the top team in the league again. They reached the WNBA Finals for the sixth time in seven years, playing the Sparks again. The Lynx won the series in five games. This gave them their fourth WNBA championship in seven years.
2018–2023: New Path and Retirement
In 2018, Moore scored a season-high 38 points. She also won her third All-Star MVP award. The Lynx finished with an 18–16 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
In February 2019, Moore announced she would miss the upcoming WNBA season. She wanted to focus on her family and ministry. In January 2020, she said she would miss the season again. She wanted to focus on helping with criminal justice reform.
Moore took a break from basketball from 2019 to 2023. She focused on changing the American justice system. On January 16, 2023, Moore officially announced her retirement from basketball.
Playing Overseas: EuroLeague and China
2011–2012: European Champion
Moore played for the Spanish club Ros Casares Valencia in 2011–2012. She helped Ros Casares win its first ever EuroLeague Women championship in April 2012. Three weeks later, her team also won the Spanish league title.
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2012–2015: Three Championships in China
In 2012, Moore joined the Chinese club Shanxi Flame. In her third game, she scored an amazing 60 points. She led the Flame to the championship in her first season.
In Moore's second year with Shanxi, she led her team to the finals again. She averaged 43.3 points per game and won another championship. This was her fifth professional championship in three years. In the 2014–2015 season, Shanxi won its third straight title. Fans in Shanxi called her the "Invincible Queen" because of her dominance and friendly nature.
2018: Second EuroLeague Title
On January 2, 2018, Moore joined the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg. She helped UMMC win the EuroLeague Women Championship on April 22.
United States National Team
Moore was invited to train with the USA Basketball Women's National Team in 2009. She was one of only three college players invited. She was chosen to represent the US at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The team won the championship and a gold medal. Moore averaged 8.7 points per game.
Moore was one of the finalists for the 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team. She won a gold medal with Team USA in 2012. By doing so, she joined an elite group of players who had won NCAA titles, WNBA Championships, and Olympic gold medals.
Moore also played for the U.S. team at the FIBA World Championship for Women in Turkey in 2014. She won another gold medal with the team. She was named the MVP of the tournament.
USA Basketball also named Moore to the team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This was her second Olympic tournament. Moore earned her second gold medal, helping the US win against Spain in the final.
Social Justice Work
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Maya Moore is known for her work in social justice. On July 9, 2016, Moore and her teammate Rebekkah Brunson spoke out. They wore warm-up shirts to support Black Lives Matter. The shirts called for "Justice and Accountability." They also honored victims of police violence and fallen police officers. This was an early protest by athletes for Black Lives Matter.
In 2017, Moore started "Win with Justice." This group works to improve the justice system. Many people see her as one of the top civil rights voices among athletes. In July 2021, ESPN Films released Breakaway, a film about Moore and her social justice work. Moore received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2021 for her efforts.
Moore also supports the End It Movement, which aims to stop modern slavery.
Moore was very involved in helping to free Jonathan Irons from prison. Irons was wrongly convicted and served 22 years. Moore took a break from basketball to help secure his release. Irons was freed on July 1, 2020. In September 2020, Moore announced that she and Irons had gotten married. On July 5, 2022, they welcomed their first child, a son named Jonathan Irons Jr. In 2023, they published a book about their story.
Personal Life
Maya Moore is a Christian. She often talks about her faith. She believes her basketball platform helps her do good in the world.
Moore's godparents influenced her interest in justice reform. She worked hard to help Jonathan Irons, who was wrongly imprisoned.
Moore was featured in an ESPN Sports Science video. It showed her amazing athletic abilities. They noted her hands move faster than a rattlesnake's strike when she steals the ball.
In 2013, Moore appeared in a Pepsi Max advertisement series. She was the first WNBA player to be part of it.
Moore was named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30" in sports for 2015. In 2016, she joined the UNICEF Kid Power initiative. She went on a mission to Haiti that year.
Moore's father, Mike Dabney, played college basketball. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers but did not play in the NBA.
Awards and Honors
- In 2008, she became the first freshman in Big East Basketball history (men or women) to be named the Big East Player of the Year.
- She scored her 1,000th career point in just her 55th game at UConn. This was a new record for the fastest player to reach 1,000 points at UConn.
- Moore won the 2010 ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete.
- She was invited to play in a basketball game organized by President Barack Obama for wounded troops.
- In March 2011, Moore became the second four-time All-American women's basketball player.
- Moore has been invited to the White House five times for honors. President Obama joked that there's "basically, like a Maya Moore wing in the White House."
Key Awards and Honors
- 2007: Naismith National Girls' High School Player of the Year
- 2008: Big East Freshman of the Year, Big East Player of the Year, USBWA National Freshman of the Year, Unanimous All-America First Team
- 2009: Big East Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, AP College Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Naismith College Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, ESPY for Best Female College Athlete
- 2010: Wade Trophy, Academic All-America of the Year, NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Honda Sports Award, Honda-Broderick Cup, ESPY for Best Female College Athlete
- 2011: Wade Trophy, AP College Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, USBWA National Player of the Year, Big East Player of the Year, Academic All-America of the Year, All-sports Academic All-America of the Year, Honda-Broderick Cup, ESPY for Best Female College Athlete, WNBA All-Star, WNBA Rookie of the Year, WNBA Champion
- 2012: EuroLeague Women Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist
- 2013: WNBA Champion, WCBA Champion, WNBA All-Star, First Team All-WNBA, WNBA Finals MVP
- 2014: WCBA Champion, ESPY for Best WNBA Player, WNBA All-Star, All-WNBA First Team, WNBA MVP, FIBA Gold Medalist, MVP of FIBA World Championships
- 2015: WNBA Champion, 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
- 2017: WNBA Champion, All-WNBA First Team, WNBA 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
Images for kids
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Maya Moore in Parade celebrating UConn undefeated National Championship
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Moore at the 2016 WNBA Finals
See also
In Spanish: Maya Moore para niños
