Minnesota Lynx retiring Maya Moore’s No. 23 jersey Aug. 24
Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx handles the ball against Chelsea Gray #12 of the Los Angeles Sparks in Round One of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs at Staples Center on August 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. ((Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Maya Moore is arguably the greatest player to ever wear a Minnesota Lynx jersey. The team announced Monday they’ll put her No. 23 in the Target Center rafters this season.
The Lynx will retire Moore’s jersey when they host the Indiana Fever on Aug. 24. She’ll be the franchise’s fifth player to have her jersey retired, joining Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles. That core led the Lynx to four WNBA titles.
"We look forward to welcoming Maya back to Target Center to commemorate her prolific career," Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve said in a statement. "To stand with Maya as her No. 23 jersey is hoisted into the Target Center rafters will be incredibly exciting."
Moore played eight seasons in the WNBA before stepping away from basketball to focus on ministry and social justice reform. She was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2011, and was the WNBA MVP in 2014. She earned All-Star honor six of her eight seasons, and was named All-WNBA First Team five times.
"I am so excited to be able to come back to connect, celebrate and remember so many of the special memories I was able to be a part of with this Lynx family," Moore said in a statement. "I’m still so amazed at what we were able to accomplish as a group and even more amazed at how well we did it together!"
The Lynx drafted Moore No. 1 overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft out of UConn. She scored 4,984 points, had 1,589 rebounds, 896 assists and 449 steals in 271 career games. She had 31 double-doubles, and has franchise records in steals and made 3-pointers (530). Moore also won two Olympic gold medals.
In 56 career playoff games, she averaged 19.2 points, six rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She was the WNBA Finals MVP in 2013, and her 441 points make her the all-time leading scorer in WNBA Finals history.