Future Hall of Famer Maya Moore Officially Retires from Basketball

Maya Moore has made what many women’s basketball fans have come to accept: she’s done. The future Hall of Famer has officially announced to the WNBA world that she is retiring from basketball.

Maya Moore officially announces retirement ♥️

4-time WNBA champion
2013 Finals MVP
2014 WNBA MVP
6-time WNBA All-Star
3-time All-Star MVP
2-time NCAA champion

Maya, thank you for what you’ve done for this game, and more importantly, for what you’ve done for the world. pic.twitter.com/eyboNiWaYd

— WSLAM (@wslam) January 16, 2023

The four-time champion retired from the WNBA in 2019 and helped her husband Jonathan Irons win his freedom after his 50-year sentence was overturned in 2020. Irons married Moore shortly after his release, and the couple had their first child, Jonathan Jr., in July.

Moore wasn’t sure about playing basketball until Monday. The former MVP announced her retirement decision on Good Morning America, putting to rest any thoughts of seeing her play again.

“Well, I feel like it’s time to end my pro basketball career,” Moore said. “I retired four seasons ago, but I wanted to make it official. It’s such a sweet time for us and our family. What we’ve done. I want to continue that in the next chapter. Be home for the community and for my family. … That’s where I’m going. I’m quitting.”

“I think it’s time to end my professional basketball career.”

Maya Moore has announced her retirement from the WNBA and professional basketball.

Through ~ @GMA pic.twitter.com/k3VrAeNFJe

— Sean Hurd (@seanahurd) January 16, 2023

Moore finished her legendary career as a four-time champion, one-time Finals MVP, former MVP, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time national champion with the Uconn Huskies. Moore is eligible for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2024 because she retired from basketball four years ago. She missed the deadline to get on the ballot this year by a month.

Moore, a former No. 1 overall pick, matched his stellar high school and college performances by playing eight seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, averaging 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.