Maya Moore is as accomplished a women’s hoops player as they come. An Olympic gold medal is the one accomplishment Moore hasn’t checked off her list. With the London Games commencing today, she’ll soon get her chance.
The basketball bug started for Moore when she was younger.
“When I was about eight, is when I realized I love basketball more than the other sports,” Moore said. “I really was able to become a good basketball player because I played all the time.”
Moore had always hoped to play professionally but first captured national attention as an All-American at Georgia’s Collins Hill High School and then later as a two-time national champion at college powerhouse Connecticut. Moore’s ascent to the top of women’s hoops was almost complete.
“I was in a unique generation where I was able to watch WNBA and NBA growing up as a kid,” Moore said. “So I always knew that WNBA was out there for me and that is a goal of mine and I can make a career out of that.”
And Moore did. She was drafted first overall in 2011 by the Minneosta Lynx. And with just one season under her belt, she’s already a WNBA Champion. Moore also earned Rookie of the Year honors in her first season.
It’s a product of Moore’s dedication to putting in hard work before tip-off.
“That’s why I practice so hard and I try to prepare so well so that when the game happens, I don’t have to over-think things, I can just play free,” Moore said. “I think as long as I got people around that’ll help me to stay focused, I’ll continue to be successful.”