Background and career
Maya April Moore (born June 11, 1989) is an American social justice advocate and former professional basketball player. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, Sports Illustrated called Moore the "greatest winner in the history of women's basketball". Moore was selected for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. In 2025, Moore was selected to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In high school, Moore was the National Gatorade Player of the Year, the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald's All-American. She played forward for the UConn women's basketball team and won back to back national championships in 2009 and 2010. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to an undefeated national championship. The following season, Moore led Connecticut to its second straight national championship and continued its overall undefeated streak at 78; in the 2010–11 season, she led the Huskies in extending that streak to an NCAA both-gender record (all divisions) of 90. That season, Moore became the first female basketball player to sign with Air Jordan. After the 2017 season, her win–loss record in the U.S. since high school was 497–78. Moore was the first overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft and joined a Minnesota Lynx team that already featured all-star caliber players in Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, and Lindsay Whalen. Moore has won four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017), a WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2014), a WNBA Finals MVP Award (2013), three WNBA All-Star Game MVPs (2015, 2017, and 2018), two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016), a WNBA Scoring Title (2014), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2011). She has also been selected to six WNBA All-Star teams and seven All-WNBA teams. The relative timing of the seasons of the WNBA and the top leagues in other countries has allowed Moore to compete throughout the year. In 2012, she won both the Spanish league title and EuroLeague title playing for Ros Casares Valencia. From 2013 to 2015, Moore also won the Chinese league title every year. Moore won a second Euroleague title playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2018. Moore is one of 11 women to earn an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold and a WNBA Championship. Moore was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Moore was born on June 11, 1989, in Jefferson City, Missouri. She is the daughter of Kathryn Moore. Moore had her first exposure to basketball at the age of three when her mother mounted a hoop on the back door of their apartment. She attended Moreau Heights Elementary School as a child, then later on went to Creekland Middle School.
Moore was a four-year starter at Collins Hill High School in Gwinnett County, near Suwanee, Georgia, where she had a 125–3 record with the Eagles. Moore was named to the USA Today Freshman and Sophomore All-America Teams. During her junior year in 2005–06, averaged 23.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 5.4 steals as a junior at Collins Hill. Moore was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was only the second junior to win the Naismith award Her first dunk was one-handed off an alley-oop pass in warm-ups at a dunk contest in Charlotte, NC in December 2005. She was 16 at the time. As a senior, she averaged 25.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.3 steals. In December 2006, she led the Collins Hill Eagles over Poly (Long Beach, California) by a score of 75–61, resulting in her being selected unanimously as the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament of Champions in Chandler, Arizona. In the title game of the "T-Mobile Invitational" in Seattle, she scored 48 points in a win over St. Elizabeth. Moore helped lead her high school to four consecutive state championships appearances, including three Georgia state titles and the 2007 National Championship. Moore is a three-time Georgia 5A Player of the Year and 2007 Miss Georgia Basketball. Moore finished as Collins High School's all-time leader in points (2,664) rebounds (1,212), assists (407) and steals (467). In addition to basketball, she also participated in track and field. Moore finished as the runner-up in the high jump at the 2005 Georgia State 5A Championships. She was also an excellent student, as she graduated from high school with a 4.0 grade point average. Moore was the recipient of the Atlanta Journal Cup. Moore announced that she would play college basketball at the University of Connecticut. Moore is only the second player to win the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award following both junior and senior prep seasons, joining Candace Parker. Moore is also a two-time Parade Magazine First Team All-America, three-time Georgia 5A Player of the Year, three-time Street & Smith All-America Team selection, four-time Georgia Class 5A All-State First Team selection, and a member of the 2006 Sports Illustrated All-America Team. Moore received several awards for her performance her senior year, including the 2007 WBCA National Player of the Year, 2007 Parade Magazine All-America of the Year, and 2007 Morgan Wootten Award Winner which is presented to the McDonald's All-America Player of the Year.
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).
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.
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. In July 2009, she won the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award.
