My first WNBA game was in 2014, a playoff game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Minnesota. I had known of the league and had heard the names of some of the players, but that was about it. I managed to get a center-court fifth-row seat at the Target Center. About five minutes into the game, a few things happened.
One, I felt right at home. Two, I immediately became enamored with basketball. And third, I got to see Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore. I thought to myself, “if this is women’s basketball, then this is where I want to be.” A week later I purchased a season ticket for 2015, and have been a member ever since.
In the years that I had the good fortune to watch Maya play, I realized early on that greatness comes in many different forms. Of course, great skill is often what people refer to the most, but for me, it went a lot deeper than that. The humility of greatness is really something to behold. It is graceful, eloquent, and accessible. My impression is that Maya never shortchanged anyone; not her team, her fans, or herself. To witness true passion supported by true character is a rarity, but that is what I saw.
Never did I get the feeling that Maya Moore walked around being Maya Moore the athlete, but Maya Moore the deeply committed human being. I wish I had been able to see her play at UConn and in her first few years in the WNBA. But what I did get, while it may not have been enough, was more than I could have imagined.
Maya Moore and her life post-WNBA
After the 2018 season, when Maya stepped away, I never for a moment thought that she would be back. When it became clear why she stepped away, I was even more sure of that. True passion takes us in so many different directions, and it was obvious that Maya’s passion, as we know it now, had become guided by something much greater than basketball.
Often it takes as much courage to walk away as it does to forge ahead. But I don’t think Maya walked away from anything but rather chose another goal to walk toward. While the basketball world lost a great athlete and competitor, the real world gained a human being who chose to complete herself in a much different way.
While Moore only played eight years in the WNBA, she left an indelible mark. She inspired many, not only through basketball but with her undying faith. To have her jersey retired is not an end to anything, but an acknowledgment of greatness, commitment, and professionalism that is to be respected and admired.
When the banner is raised, it will serve not only as a reminder of what once was but also as a symbol of what can be. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see Moore play as often as I did. Was it enough? No, but it will do. It will be a moving ceremony, of that I am sure. Now, all we ask is that the Lynx win the game.
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