WNBA great Maya Moore retires from basketball officially

Maya Moore has decided to retire officially from playingbasketball.

The Minnesota Lynx star stepped away from the WNBA in 2019 tohelp her now-husband Jonathan Irons win his release from prison bygetting his 50-year sentence overturned in 2020. Irons marriedMoore soon after his release and the couple had their first child,Jonathan Jr., in July.

She announced her decision to retire on ABC’s “Good MorningAmerica.” Before Monday, Moore had been noncommittal about everplaying basketball again.

“Well, I think it’s time to put a close to the pro basketballlife,” Moore said. “I walked away four seasons ago but wanted toofficially retire. This is such a sweet time for us and our family.The work we’ve done, I want to continue that in our next chapter.Be home for my community and family.”

In a video call with reporters after the show, Moore said shemissed her teammates but was too focused over the last four yearson her off-the-court priorities that transitioning back tobasketball was not on her mind.

“Just trying to learn a new rhythm outside of playing — I didn’treally wrestle with a desire to want to switch that pace up,” shesaid, later adding: “I wasn’t just sitting around wishing I wasplaying again. I just felt such a sense of purpose.”

The 33-year-old Moore won four WNBA championships with theMinnesota Lynx, two Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball and twoNCAA titles with UConn.

“On behalf of the Minnesota Lynx organization, I want tocongratulate Maya on an incredible basketball career,” Lynx coachand President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve said. “We willalways cherish her time in a Lynx uniform and we wish her the bestas she continues to pursue this next chapter of her life.”

Moore will be eligible for the Naismith Hall of Fame next yearsince she stopped playing four years ago, one the rare athletes toleave their sport in the prime of their career.

She was drafted No. 1 by the Lynx in 2011, winning the Rookie ofthe Year award and going on to average 18.4 points, 5.9 reboundsand 1.7 steals over eight seasons for Minnesota. She was theleague’s MVP in 2014 and the only player in WNBA history with four40-plus point games.

“Her four WNBA championships, six All-Star selections, an MVPaward and a Finals MVP trophy are indicative of the type of rare,generational talent Maya brought to this league, but perhaps hergreatest legacy will be what she accomplished beyond the game,”WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.

When Moore stepped away from basketball, she started a socialaction campaign “ Win With Justice.” Moore and her husband alsohave a book coming out this week titled “Love & Justice.”

During her career, she was at the forefront of the Lynx becomingone of the first pro sports teams to fully embrace social activism,starting before a game on July 9, 2016, when players wore blackT-shirts that read, “Change Starts With Us.” Their message wasprompted by fatal police shootings earlier that week of PhilandoCastile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana.

“I hope people saw me as someone who gave all she had,” Mooresaid Monday, “but also somebody who looked beyond the craft that Ipursued.”

The Lynx went 200-71 in the regular season and 40-16 in theplayoffs during Moore’s career as the star among stars in a corethat featured Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunsonand eventually Sylvia Fowles.

She finished her career as the Lynx franchise leader in scoringaverage, 3-point field goals made (530) and steals (449) andfinished second in total points scored (4,984), field goals made(1,782), assists (896) and blocks (176).

“Maya Moore has forever left a mark on the state of Minnesota,the Minnesota Lynx franchise and the hearts of Lynx fanseverywhere,” Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylorsaid. “Maya’s accolades are numerous; her leadership and talentboth fearless and inspirational set the foundation for the mostexciting and historic championship run in the league from2011-2017. While today culminates Maya’s basketball career, thereis no doubt she will continue to impact the game we all love.”

Moore went 150-4 in her career at UConn. The two-time AP Playerof the Year was a key part of the Huskies’ 90-game winning streakthat was the longest-ever until the school had an 111-game run afew years later.

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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.