WNBA Star Maya Moore Officially Retires at 33

Maya Moore, selected as the first overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx in 2011, announced her official retirement from the WNBA on Monday.

"It's time to put a close to the pro basketball life," she said during an interview with "Good Morning America," adding that she walked away four years ago and wanted to retire officially.

The 33-year-old WNBA star stopped playing in 2018 and has since taken a break from the game.

Moore was a WNBA legend who helped lead the Lynx to four titles and was a perennial All-Star. She also competed for the United States and won gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, according to PEOPLE.

"I am extremely thankful for the opportunities that the WNBA, the Minnesota Lynx, and basketball have given me in my lifetime," Moore said in a statement posted by the Lynx, adding that being able to play basketball at the highest level and lay the groundwork for women's basketball was a dream come true.

She also said the state of Minnesota, the Lynx team, and the fan base have welcomed her with open arms and supported her throughout her career.

WNBA Star Maya Moore's Book Talks About Love and Justice

Maya Moore Irons and her husband, Jonathan Irons, have written their inspirational story to inspire people to have faith and love.

At the height of her career, the WNBA star took time away from basketball to fight for the release of an innocent man from prison.

Moore welcomed Irons home after he was released from prison after 23 and a half years since their friendship had developed into love. The two tied the knot in 2020 after Irons's release.

The couple talks about their new book, "Love & Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts" during their interview with Good Morning America.

"Because our story happened over so many years -- reading it all together, it was extremely overwhelming," she noted about how it felt reliving their history to write the book.

Her husband described it as "very traumatic," but after talking to a psychologist, he discovered that the more he read it, the more it helped him to get through.

"I was able to flip a switch and say, 'I'm not there anymore; I'm past that. I'm free.' I just had to continually remind myself," Irons said.

WNBA Star Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons

Maya Moore's family became friends with Jonathan Irons in 1999 through a prison ministry program. Before becoming a two-time NCAA champion with the Huskies, Moore met Irons in 2007 as a freshman at UConn, according to CT Insider.

Irons was falsely convicted as an adult at 16 and charged with burglary and assault, offenses he did not commit. He spent more than 20 years in prison.

Moore achieved legendary status in the worlds of collegiate and professional basketball. Her resume is so long it could quickly fill a book.

Moore earned just about every award in the WNBA. She was the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player, the 2013 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player, a six-time All-Star, the 2018 league leader in steals, the 2014 league leader in scoring, and a five-time member of the All-WNBA First Team.

She won four WNBA titles while playing for the Minnesota Lynx. Throughout her academic and professional career, Moore visited Irons and sent him letters and books.

In February 2019, she chose to end her playing career to help Irons. Moore's efforts contributed to a state judge in Jefferson City, Missouri overturning Irons' conviction in March 2020.

The couple's book, "Love and Justice," will be released on January 17.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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