Great Story about Maya in Washington Post Article

[Jackalope]

Not sure if this was mentioned anywhere, but there is a great Maya Moore story in this recent article in the Washington Post:

‘A well-oiled machine’: Minnesota Lynx roll toward sixth WNBA Finals in seven years

"The Minnesota Lynx coach was standing at midcourt with reporters crowded around her Thursday in Minneapolis, leaning in to hear over the music that blared during warmups ahead of Game 2 of the WNBA playoff semifinal series against the Washington Mystics. Reeve barely paused to excuse herself, twisted out of the scrum and barked “Chapel! Chapel!” at Maya Moore, who was shooting at the other end of the court. Reeve turned back to reporters and continued as the star guard walked to the locker room.

Reeve’s yelling is a normal pregame scene for Minnesota. Moore, a devout Christian, gets too engrossed in her warmup drills to remember to head down to the team’s chapel service before every game, an important part of the 2014 WNBA MVP’s routine. Mid-interview or not, it’s Reeve’s job to remind her."


What I think is great about this story is that it illustrates how focused Maya is.... and that it ends up being Reeve's job to make sure Maya doesn't miss her pregame praying ritual. There was probably some related incident in the past, and Cheryl Reeve now makes sure that Maya is completely mentally ready for the game!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Minnesota's 7-year run exactly coincides with Maya's tenure there. She was fortunate in that Minnesota had the first pick, partly due to injuries to talented players and partly due to luck. Maya's arrival moved them up a couple of notches. Syl's arrival moved them up farther.

 

[eebmg]

I wonder if Maya had such a defined ritual when she was at UConn?

 

[pinotbear]

I wonder if Maya had such a defined ritual when she was at UConn?

I think that the entire team likely had a "ritual", as the teams before and the teams after have had. I hesitate to use the word "programmed", but, I believe that there is a set routine that is rarely deviated from. A set routine for dam' near everything - one of the "eye-openers" for me, the first time I saw the Huskies in person, were the time frames that you don't see on TV. I'm talking the pre-game routine, the time-outs, the half-time rhythm. I was particularly impressed with time-outs which are, of course, tightly defined and limited periods of time. Everybody had a place, a responsibility, and they wasted no time at all in getting down to business - even the team managers.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The most successful people in any field are able to compartmentalize many tasks into a limited time frame! That is a skill that makes them so successful in their chosen field! They due more with less time!
It shouldn't surprise us that Maya & other people from the UCONN program are that focused!

 

[Carnac]

Maya is but one of a l-o-n-g list of players to come out of UConn and go on to a successful career, be it in sports or the business world. Along with the other high profile former charges of Geno and CD, Maya continues to be an advocate and a shining example of the UConn women's basketball program, the WNBA and Christian athletes everywhere.

Maya is the reason I started watching and following the WNBA. I wanted to continue to follow her after she left UConn. The only thing that has changed about Maya is she's gotten better each year she's been in the league.
She's still a scoring machine just like she was at UConn. Smooth as a baby's cheek. Maya has always been one of my favorites, and will remain so. I love watching her play.

I honestly wish and hope that potential recruits that are contemplating committing to UConn take a hard and serious look at Maya and all of the other athletes that have gone through Geno's program. There's a pattern there, and you don't have to look hard to see it. It's the reason former UConn players are so highly coveted by WNBA coaches. They come into the league ready to play on day 1.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"The house that Ruth built is now a Chapel." Popped into my mind; had to get it out. Maya is an old soul with a young body that she treats as her chapel too. She is built remarkably well for durability and extreme athleticism. I could watch her move on the court all day.

 

[MilfordHusky]

"Special" is an overused word, but Maya Moore is really, really, really special.