Maya Moore

[HuskyNan]

I love Sarah Strong - she is an incredible player and I’m so glad she’s a Husky. The praise for her is well-deserved. I just feel that people making some of the comments about smoothest freshman in 30 years, etc are forgetting the (I thought) unforgettable Maya Moore. Her first time in a UConn jersey was an exhibition against the National Team - Maya had 17 points and at times looked like the best player on the court. Below is a video reminder of Maya’s freshman season.

Let the praise for Sarah continue as she’s earned it but for me, I’m not forgetting the Marvelous Maya Moore.

 

[cohenzone]

Maya was special. Sarah seems the same. Her footwork is fabulous. On a team with Paige. she still is managing to stick out.

 

[Kaizen]

On Sunday, May 5, Moore will share her story and inspire the next generation as a commencement speaker at the 2024 UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduation ceremony at Gampel Pavilion at 6 p.m. Moore will also receive an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters.

 

[Jonathan14]

Last night, during the game, my spouse and I were discussing how much Sarah reminds us of Maya in the poise she has with the ball in her hands. When the ball is in Sarah's hands, you feel like nothing bad will happen. She might not make the shot or the perfect pass, but she's probably not going to make a nervous mistake, either. Many years ago, I coached a high school girls' lacrosse team with a woman who had been an Olympic ice hockey player. (She was a tremendous athlete and great tactician; I was mostly there for crowd control.) She always emphasized that poise under pressure was the X-factor that separated the great athletes from the all-time greatest. Maya had it in spades, and Sarah seems to have it too.

Sometimes, I wonder if the basketball public forgets just how transcendent Maya was because of how (relatively) early she stopped playing professionally and on the U.S. national team. Barring injury, if her career had lasted as long as her peers, I think she would be more widely recognized as the greatest women's basketball player of all time. And to think she put those accolades aside to dedicate her life to work that she truly believes in and serves others. The very best kind of "influencer."

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maya was the best freshman and possibly best player I've seen. Note that those highlights are from her freshman season. At least her sophomore and junior highlights are also available on video. No one has comparable highlights, in terms of quality and quantity. As Doug Bruno (who coached Maya with Team USA) said to Geno in the early fall of Maya's freshman year, "Tell me the truth. She's even better than you thought, isn't she?" Sarah seems to be at the same rare level.

 

[BobbyJ]

Moore, Bueckers, and Collier are my three favorite UConn players ever. But a play Strong made last night made me realize that I can expand that to four at some point down the road. The baseball throw, one bounce pass through traffic to Samuels was a thing of beauty. But the most impressive part of it was that she threw it. The amount of talent, vision, self belief, and chutzpah it takes to attempt that play in front of that crowd and tv audience is extraordinary. A lot of people might not have thought it was a big deal but it spoke volumes to me about her potential both physically and mentally. I hope she’s able to fulfill it because it will be enjoyable to watch.

 

[Bone Dog]

Gee thanks for sending me down a Maya rabbit hole guys.

Here's what I remembered this time through: those long strides. She'd be driving on some defender and when she picked up the ball to begin her final move, the defender would jump to block. But Maya's stride would have carried her past the defender who now looked hopelessly out of position.

 

[BRS24]

Sarah had a few Maya-esque finger roll layups that made me shake my head and laugh.

 

[David54]

Yes Maya was the best I’ve ever seen. Freak athleticism combined with superior skills like I’ve not seen before or since. Having said that Sarah has been great. The way she’s been performing and Azzi looking quicker and stronger than before injury UConn has become the team to beat.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Are they comparable? I don't know. After committing I just remember the following reply after being asked what she could bring to the team. Well .. I can shoot. She left out passing (forgiven), but she didn't lie. Enjoy HER.

 

[PacoSwede]

... Many years ago, I coached a high school girls' lacrosse team with a woman who had been an Olympic ice hockey player. (She was a tremendous athlete and great tactician; I was mostly there for crowd control.) She always emphasized that poise under pressure was the X-factor that separated the great athletes from the all-time greatest.

absolutely agree with that Olympian's assessment. to me, she was 1,600% on the money.

i think many posters don't take it into account when judging a player's relative merits. for UConn, DT and maya definitely had it, and i think PB does. birdie is in the running too, IMHO. sarah -- too early to tell; she has potential.

 

[Lynx23]

absolutely agree with that Olympian's assessment. to me, she was 1,600% on the money.

i think many posters don't take it into account when judging a player's relative merits. for UConn, DT and maya definitely had it, and i think PB does. birdie is in the running too, IMHO. sarah -- too early to tell; she has potential.

Brianna Stewart?

 

[PacoSwede]

Brianna Stewart?

Breanna sometimes wilts in tight situations seems to me. but very rare (if ever) for d & maya

 

[msf22b]

I was a season subscriber to the XL during the Maya Moore era, used to drive up from NYC after work and hope that we'd make it....A sensational, unique player

The move of hers that I Ioved the most was her side to side dribbling in the mid-range or even 3...The defender getting dizzy and eventually losing her creating room for her jumper.

Or the baseline mid-range...a great example in Stanford comes to UConn for Christmas on YouTube (near the end of the game).

And perhaps my fav of all...what was a three or four picture spread in the Courant of a move she made against (who? when?) in the XL
We were there and were agahst.

Having said all this... My main point is that Sarah and Maya are quite different physical types, linked more by talent than actual game.
I've noted before that Sarah is more in the mould of JuJu...a power forward with guard skills...

Think the difference between Dave Debusschere and Bill Bradley back in the day...(and this is not to jumpstart another round of who is better or has more potential, Sarah or JuJU...)just noting the similarities in body type,
athleticism and game.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Moore, Bueckers, and Collier are my three favorite UConn players ever. But a play Strong made last night made me realize that I can expand that to four at some point down the road. The baseball throw, one bounce pass through traffic to Samuels was a thing of beauty. But the most impressive part of it was that she threw it. The amount of talent, vision, self belief, and chutzpah it takes to attempt that play in front of that crowd and tv audience is extraordinary. A lot of people might not have thought it was a big deal but it spoke volumes to me about her potential both physically and mentally. I hope she’s able to fulfill it because it will be enjoyable to watch.

Nothing wrong with anything you've said here, it is your opinion. However, I am deeply surprised that you would pick Phee over Stewie ... or at least not include her? But, of course, over the years we have had so many great players to choose from as favorites, many must be left on the shelf when picking a top three. Based on her last WNBA season, Collier is definitely moving up the ranks by leaps and bounds. She was/is incredible! Sarah appears to be getting better game after game. She is just fearless! Plays with such ease. I am so glad she is a Husky!

 

[Just.A.Fan]

I love Sarah Strong - she is an incredible player and I’m so glad she’s a Husky. The praise for her is well-deserved. I just feel that people making some of the comments about smoothest freshman in 30 years, etc are forgetting the (I thought) unforgettable Maya Moore. Her first time in a UConn jersey was an exhibition against the National Team - Maya had 17 points and at times looked like the best player on the court. Below is a video reminder of Maya’s freshman season.

Let the praise for Sarah continue as she’s earned it but for me, I’m not forgetting the Marvelous Maya Moore.

Thank you Nan for forcing us to remember an all-time UConn great, perhaps the greatest of them all. It selfishly breaks my heart that her career was cut so short.

 

[maple]

Breanna sometimes wilts in tight situations seems to me. but very rare (if ever) for d & maya

To me, Stewie in college was a lot like Paige. Even on an off shooting night she’s still playing at such a high level she impacts the game without scoring.

 

[Jim]

It selfishly breaks my heart that her career was cut so short.

I don’t like to think of Maya’s career as having been cut short. To me, cut short implies something from the outside as doing the cutting. Rather, with Maya the Robert Frost poem comes to mind — she took the road less traveled. And that has made all the difference.

 

[pvdoggy]

I became a Uconn WBB fan after watching Maya play during her freshman season and I still think that she has the most beautiful jump shot in WBB, like some of the top NBA 3-point shooters. Sarah is amazing in her own right and while it is hard to compare players of different eras, to me Maya is the GOAT at Uconn.

 

[PacoSwede]

To me, Stewie in college was a lot like Paige. Even on an off shooting night she’s still playing at such a high level she impacts the game without scoring.

i didn't make this observation in my original post: the fact is that stewie had little opportunity (maybe like zip) to perform in situations where she was under high pressure to perform. her huskies rarely were challenged during her time (and as a freshman the veterans were there to carry the burden if things got tight). her teams won -- that's wonderful -- but i don't recall stewie ever powering the team when it was in danger of losing.

she didn't have chances to do that: maya & D did, as has paige.

after college, stewie disappeared at times in those circumstances (as did maya & dt, i assume).

 

[dtbtbtb]

A reminder that during Maya's freshmen season she was the 2nd best player in WBB after Parker and some (including me) thought she was the best player even as a freshmen.
It seems almost ridicules to think of Sarah as Maya's second coming but yes, Sarah is that good!

 

[darrell]

I don’t like to think of Maya’s career as having been cut short. To me, cut short implies something from the outside as doing the cutting. Rather, with Maya the Robert Frost poem comes to mind — she took the road less traveled. And that has made all the difference.

Beautifully written. Maya is as good as they come.

 

[browns]

I definitly see Sara up on the pedestal before its all said and done with DT,Stewie and Maya

 

[BBallF]

Sarah had a few Maya-esque finger roll layups that made me shake my head and laugh.

Totally. The "one handed swoop finger roll can't touch this" lay up. She had a couple last night. They are even better live.

 

[Dogstar]

Breanna sometimes wilts in tight situations seems to me. but very rare (if ever) for d & maya

Wow!!!.. Allow me to retort..... Stewie won a championship every college year she played and was the MVP of the Final Four each year, being those were 1 and done I'd consider them tight situations...not to mention her Wnba titles (3 times), Euroleague titles (2 times), FIBA world cup titles (3 times) and Olympic titles (3 times). In other words I respectfully disagree ... Check, your move sir.