Maya the Magnificent

[MilfordHusky]

Maya Moore didn't want 'night to end' as Lynx retire No. 23 jersey

Lynx legend Maya Moore shed tears Saturday night as she stood at center court to see her No. 23 jersey retired to the rafters of the Target Center.

www.espn.com

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[augustaTC]

Boy do I feel ancient! Loved watching Maya play at Uconn. She was a pretty enthusiastic drummer if I recall. Great lady - she could do anything she put her mind to do.

 

[Geew1992]

Boy do I feel ancient! Loved watching Maya play at Uconn. She was a pretty enthusiastic drummer if I recall. Great lady - she could do anything she put her mind to do.

Drummer and singer

 

[The deacon]

Drummer and singer

And, to my clearly minority view, UConn's GOAT, by a narrow margin over Stewie.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Man oh man do I love Maya's humility, sagacity, and virtue:

"My life is an example of what it looks like when we love a little girl well," she said. "There is no way we're watching that [ceremony] without love. So many people having a hand in my life to show me what life is about. That's what I tried to bring every day: life and joy. Because I've been a recipient of life and joy."

The Huskies and Lynx really got a good one.

 

[AnonChoice]

I found it very surprising that in the video messages played for the ceremony, not a word from Geno. Nor about her stellar playing career at UConn. I realize this was about retiring her WNBA jersey, so her college career wouldn't have been a focus, but still, it was her whole playing career being celebrated, and Geno/UConn is where her key development as a player took place, equipping her for the WNBA. I thought for sure that along with other video messages played (including from Bird & Taurasi), there would be one from him.

Having said that, I agree that she's exceptional -- loved her as a player at UConn, and have complete admiration for the justice work she's done, leaving her pro basketball career -- in her prime -- to do it. First-class human being.

 

[AnonChoice]

Does anyone remember the night that Maya and teammate Kaili McLaren sang the national anthem before a game? I think it was a Senior Night, I can't remember whether it was their own. (Kaili now an asst. coach with Providence, I believe).

 

[Henry]

Does anyone remember the night that Maya and teammate Kaili McLaren sang the national anthem before a game? I think it was a Senior Night, I can't remember whether it was their own. (Kaili now an asst. coach with Providence, I believe).

I remember it, but didn't remember what year either. Google search says it was 2009.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I remember it, but didn't remember what year either. Google search says it was 2009.

Yes, it was Maya's sophomore year. Renee was a senior.

 

[Skeets]

Does anyone remember the night that Maya and teammate Kaili McLaren sang the national anthem before a game? I think it was a Senior Night, I can't remember whether it was their own. (Kaili now an asst. coach with Providence, I believe).

Didn't Bam Bam sing the National Anthem? Maybe both sang it at one time.

 

[UcMiami]

Really nice video. And it was all about the Lynx and her pro career as it should have been.

As a fan of the game, I miss not getting to see her extend her career as I believe she would have had a exceptional one, but she saw her life as bigger than basketball and left having already accomplished greatness, to face new challenges.

 

[pvdoggy]

My favorite Uconn player ever and the one that made me become a Uconn fan.

 

[Artifact]

I remember it, but didn't remember what year either. Google search says it was 2009.

I've seen many women basketball players, but 'Maya Moore' was the best, that played the game. Not only in scoring, but with her virtuous attitude in all matters . One, who I feel comes very close is ,'Paige Beckers' !

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Cheryl Reeve is a funny duck. With Maya's jersey being retired she said before the game with the Fever she wished she had either Maya or Caitlin Clark on her team. Hard to figure.

 

[Bigboote]

Man oh man do I love Maya's humility, sagacity, and virtue:

"My life is an example of what it looks like when we love a little girl well," she said. "There is no way we're watching that [ceremony] without love. So many people having a hand in my life to show me what life is about. That's what I tried to bring every day: life and joy. Because I've been a recipient of life and joy."

The Huskies and Lynx really got a good one.

I have no doubt Maya was well-loved as a little girl. But she's amplified it tenfold. She's an incredibly loving person, and I'm sure all those who loved her when she was little are incredibly proud of the daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, friend, protege, and all-round human being she's become.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Maya is the greatest winner and basketball player of All time. Period. For years, I've tried to find a weakness in her game, and nothing. Nada. Zero.

 

[GoldenGophs]

What sticks in my mind about Maya is a sequence of plays during the 2015 WNBA finals. Maya got scored on by Shavonte Zellous and Shavonte turned and started talking smack to Maya. Maya calmly went down the court, missed a shot, got her own rebound and put it back up and made the shot while being fouled by Zellous. The announcers said "And she can exchange words if she likes too" and Lobo said "But she doesn't. She never does." Maya always let her game speak for itself.

 

[tchalla1]

And, to my clearly minority view, UConn's GOAT, by a narrow margin over Stewie.

Not a minority view, at least in my book--Stewie led the greatest teams, but no one--No ONE--was a better player than Maya Moore: all-time leading scorer and the only player to be top 5 in all the major statistical categories. If you want to say Stewie was equally as good, fine, but no one was better...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Cheryl Reeve said that Maya was either the #1 or #2 player in the history of the WNBA. That's quite a statement!

 

[GoUconn7961]

I remember Geno being so mad that the stands weren't full for all the home games when Maya played. The fans were spoiled by then. He was worried about her senior night. Thankfully fans showed. But I remember him saying (paraphrasing here) that she was a one of a kind player and the fans wouldn't know what they had until she was gone. He was right. A great player on and off the court.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I flew up for Senior Night. The crowd was only about 8-9,000. She dominated Cuse with her efficiency.

 

[Wasn’t me]

Dr. J vs LA type shot

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maya’s highlights are like no one else’s in the women’s game.

 

[PJCLaw]

And, to my clearly minority view, UConn's GOAT, by a narrow margin over Stewie.

I don't think it's as much of a minority as you think. Championships aside, she was THE MOST complete player ever to put on a UConn uniform, bar NONE!! She is in the top 10-15 in literally every category for which the teams keeps stats (sans TOs). She was the epitome of a two-way player. Not DT, Sue, Stewie, Tina, Pheesa, or Paige had the impact on both ends of the court that Maya did!! Equally important, NO UConn player (verified by Geno himself) came into college more prepared to play college ball than she...there were no Freshman lulls whatsoever!!

 

[Skeets]

Years ago, during an early BE tournament game where you could sit anywhere you wanted, I sat next to a lady. Noticing her I said to myself she looks just like Maya. It turned out it was Maya's mother who at the time could have passed for Maya's older sister. I mentioned to her that she must be bursting with pride, and she said she was. After a while Maya came and sat with her mother. I had to use ergs of energy to restrain myself to keep from being overly annoying (so I was just a little annoying).

 

[WiseWillie]

Maya, if you are reading The Boneyard I hope you can feel the love from these old time BY'ers. You epitomized the sport of women's basketball for an entire generation.