Maya Moore was honored on Aug. 24 as she got her No. 23 jersey retired after the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever to earn a playoff spot. Moore led the Lynx to four championships while she played, but before that, she played her collegiate career at UConn. Breanna Stewart, another UConn alum, gave Moore her flowers before she got her jersey retired, and shared a short message about her impact on and off the court.
“Shout out to Maya, congratulations on getting your jersey retired,” Stewart said. “I feel like what she's done on the court but more importantly off the court has really changed everything for women's sports and women's basketball, but really the bigger picture. Proud to say we're a UConn family, so congrats Maya. Wish you tons of success.”
Many people throughout the day shared their love for Moore and what she gave to the game while she played, as she's considered one of the most dynamic players that was in the league.
Lynx retire Maya Moore's No. 23 jersey
After the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever game, Maya Moore's jersey was unveiled amongst the crowd, and Moore had a few words to say during the ceremony.
“My life is an example of what it looks like when we love a little girl well. There is no way we're watching that [ceremony] without love,” Moore said. “So many people having a hand in my life to show me what life is about. That's what I tried to bring every day: life and joy. Because I've been a recipient of life and joy.
Moore is a two-time NCAA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time NBA champion, a finals MVP, and 2014 WNBA MVP. One of Moore's most memorable moments was in 2015 during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals against the Fever when she hit a buzzer-beater three to win the game.
Players such as Caitlin Clark have said that Moore is their favorite player of all time, and one of her favorite moments was hugging Moore when she was a child.
Moore stopped playing basketball to help free her now-husband Jonathan Irons whose conviction on burglary and assault charges were overturned. After Irons was released from prison in July 2020, the two got married. Moore waited to announce her retirement because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.
“The journey that I had was not expected, but it was exactly the journey that I was supposed to go on. And so the way my life was going and the amount of effort and presence that was required from where I was going, as each year went along, it didn't look like I could shift back, but I just wanted to stay in the moment and also keep things open until I was really sure,” Moore said.
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