The Los Angeles Sparks may be the 2016 WNBA Champions, but this week’s spotlight is from the team they just beat. The Minnesota Lynx might not have won this year, but the team has made a huge impact on women’s basketball. One of the biggest difference makers has been Maya Moore, the team’s small forward and arguably the face of the franchise. This week’s spotlight will be in a little bit of a different format so be sure to let us know how you like it!
1. Her Time At the University Of Connecticut Was Legendary
Most people who know Maya Moore know her from her days as a Huskies player. During her time at UConn, she helped the team win the NCAA Championship twice and holds a 150-4 record. She finished out her college career with 3036 points, making her the first Husky to ever achieve that feat. She won almost every award during her college years including winning the ESPY for Top Female College Athlete, the Big East Player Of The Year, the Naismith College Player of the Year and won the Wade Trophy for three years in a row. Her domination in college has carried over into her professional career.
2. She Was Drafted #1 Overall
After her amazing career as a Husky, Moore declared for the draft in 2011. She graduated from UConn with a degree in sports media. In 2011, she was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Lynx. Moore was already joining a stacked team, but once the Lynx drafted her, they began to dominate. She helped take the Lynx to the playoffs her first season and helped the team have the best franchise record as well as the best record in the WNBA. She would finish out her season with more awards as the WNBA Rookie Of The Year, being named to the WNBA All-Star Team and became a WNBA Champion, the first of three.
3. She’s An Olympic Gold Medalist
As good as Maya Moore is, there was no way she wouldn’t make the Olympic roster. She was one of 21 ladies chosen to compete for the final roster in 2012 which she made. That year, she and many other talented ladies including Sheryl Swoope and Tamika Catchings helped the USA win gold. She would again be a member of the 2016 Olympic Women’s Basketball Team who also went on to win gold this summer. In addition, she has won two gold World Championships medals as a member of Team USA.
4. She Is The First Female Basketball Player To Sign With The Jordan Brand
When you think about the Jordan Brand, you usually think about male basketball stars but that all changed with Moore. She became the first female basketball player to sign with the Jordan Brand. Her impact on the Jordan Brand has been especially helpful for female basketball players because she hosted the second Jordan Brand Classic for Girls. Moore has released her own Jordan 1’s for female players.
When asked about what the Jordan Brand means to her, Moore said “Whether I am playing here in the U.S. with the WNBA or playing all over the world such as China. It’s been neat to see the worldwide love of not only basketball but just the excitement people have for me being on the brand. It is just exciting to see where the brand can continue to grow on the court and with the performance side of things and also just basketball culture wise.” Moore was definitely a great choice to represent the brand for men and women.
5. She Was Named To the WNBA Top 20@20 This Year
Moore has only been in the league for five years, but she’s already one of the best according to the league. The list countdowns the 20 best players in the league for its 20-year anniversary. She was the youngest player on the list and the list featured some of the league’s best including Tamika Catchings, Lisa Leslie, and Becky Hammon. Even though Moore is still relatively young, she’s showing how much better she’s getting with age and that’s why she was this week’s spotlight!
