For weeks, there has been speculation of Maya Moore demanding a trade from Minnesota, sitting out the upcoming season or even potentially retiring.
Not long ago the Minnesota Lynx cored Moore, then rumors were coming out. But one person fans hadn’t heard from was Moore herself. Today the former WNBA champion broke her silence through a special piece with the Player’s Tribune titled, “The Shift.”
“I will not be playing professional basketball this year.
My announcement is about how I’m shifting the focus to the whatever.
My focus in 2019 will not be on professional basketball, but will instead be on the people in my family, as well as on investing my time in some ministry dreams that have been stirring in my heart for many years.
I will certainly miss the day-to-day relationships with my teammates and basketball family this season, but my no for the 2019 pro season allows me to say yes to my family and faith family like I never have before.”
For the WNBA as a league, this is the worst case scenario that they had to be fearing. For the third time in four years, the league will not have one of their most marketable faces on the court (Diana Taurasi – 2015, Angel McCoughtry – 2017).
Moore’s presence this season will most definitely be felt. Not only was she the league leader in steals in 2018, but was also the All-Star MVP (her third time winning the award). That being said, Moore has earned the right to her rest. Between 2011 and 2018, not only did she play every game for the Lynx (four-time WNBA champion – 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017), but she also played in the EuroLeague, Liga Feminina and the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association for five of those years (two-time EuroLeague champion, Liga Feminina champion and three consecutive WCBA championships).
While we as basketball fans wish her the best in her ventures, we definitely hope that this is not the last we have seen of Maya Moore on the court.
To read Moore’s entire letter, you can find it on the Player’s Tribune.
Chris Bullock contributed to this article.
