Yolanda Moore facts for kids

Yolanda Moore, born on July 1, 1974, is a former professional basketball player from America. She also worked as a radio analyst for the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team in 2007.

Yolanda Moore's College Basketball Journey

Yolanda Moore played college basketball at the University of Mississippi. She was a top player in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for three years. In 2010, she was honored by being added to the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame. She finished her studies at Mississippi in 1997. She earned two degrees, one in English and another in radio and television.

Playing in the WNBA

Yolanda Moore started her professional basketball career in the WNBA. She played her first two seasons with the Houston Comets.

Starting with the Houston Comets

Yolanda's first game was on July 9, 1997. Her team, the Comets, lost to the Phoenix Mercury. In that game, she scored 2 points and grabbed 1 rebound. She played in 13 games during that first season. The Comets had a good record of 18 wins and 10 losses. Yolanda was part of the team that won the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty, earning her first championship ring.

Winning Another Championship

The 1998 season was even better for Yolanda and the Comets. Yolanda played more minutes and scored more points. Her playing time went up from 7.2 minutes per game to 17.8 minutes. Her points per game increased from 1.2 to 3.3. She also grabbed more rebounds, going from 1 to 2.9 per game. The Comets had an amazing season with 27 wins and only 3 losses. They won the WNBA Finals again, beating the Phoenix Mercury to earn Yolanda her second championship ring.

Moving to the Orlando Miracle

On April 6, 1999, Yolanda was chosen by the Orlando Miracle in a special draft for new teams. Her first game with the Miracle was on June 10, 1999. It was against her old team, the Houston Comets, and the Miracle lost. Yolanda scored 2 points and had 1 rebound in that game. The Miracle finished the season with 15 wins and 17 losses. This was the first time in her WNBA career that Yolanda did not make it to the playoffs.

Yolanda Moore's Final WNBA Game

After the 1999 season, Yolanda was picked by another new team, the Miami Sol, in a draft on December 15, 1999. However, she never played a game for the Sol. Her last WNBA game was with the Orlando Miracle on August 18, 1999. In that game, the Miracle beat the Detroit Shock. Yolanda scored 4 points, had 1 rebound, and 1 assist.

Yolanda Moore ended her WNBA career as a two-time champion. She played a total of 66 games. On average, she scored 2.1 points and grabbed 1.7 rebounds per game.

Yolanda Moore's Coaching Career

After her playing career, Yolanda Moore became a basketball coach. In 2007, she was an assistant coach for the boys' basketball team at DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Mississippi. She also taught English there. In 2011, she coached the girls' basketball team at Heritage Academy in Columbus, Mississippi.

Coaching at LSU Eunice

From 2013 to 2014, Yolanda Moore coached the Lady Bengals team at LSU Eunice. She led her team to a great record of 26 wins and only 3 losses. Her team was also ranked sixth in the country for how well they played defense.

Coaching at Southeastern Louisiana University

In April 2014, Yolanda Moore became the head coach for the women's basketball team at Southeastern Louisiana University. She coached there for two seasons. During her time, the team had a record of 11 wins and 47 losses.

Yolanda Moore's Personal Life

Yolanda Moore is a mother of four children. She had her first child while she was still a student at the University of Mississippi. Besides her degree from Mississippi, she also earned a master's degree. This degree was in workforce educational leadership from Alcorn State University. Later, she studied at Mississippi State University to work towards a Ph.D. in instructional systems and workforce development.