Maya Moore

American professional basketball player widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, known for her championship success and social activism.

Maya Moore was born on 11 June 1989 in Jefferson City, Missouri, and attended Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, before starring at the University of Connecticut, where she won back-to-back national championships in 2009 and 2010 alongside teammate Tina Charles as part of an undefeated Huskies dynasty. The Minnesota Lynx selected Moore first overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft, and she developed into one of the greatest players in the sport's history, winning four WNBA championships and the 2014 MVP award, while also building an extensive overseas career in Spain and China. During a 2007 visit to her childhood home of Jefferson City, the summer before starting college, Moore's godparents introduced her to Jonathan Irons, a man serving a 50-year sentence for a burglary and assault he insisted he did not commit. Moore spent years investigating his case, and in 2019 she paused her WNBA career entirely to fight for his release. In March 2020, a Missouri judge overturned Irons's conviction after new evidence, including a fingerprint that matched neither Irons nor the victim, came to light, and he was released from prison that July after 22 years. Moore and Irons married later that year, and Moore officially retired from basketball in January 2023 to focus on their life together and continued criminal justice advocacy, closing out a playing career widely regarded among the greatest in WNBA history with one of the most significant off-court legacies in the sport.

Versatile forward with elite scoring, rebounding and leadership

One of greatest WNBA players who sacrificed prime years for criminal justice reform

• WNBA Champion 2011,2013,2015,2017
• Olympic Gold 2012, 2016
• WNBA MVP 2014
• WNBA Finals MVP 2013