Women’s History Month is coming to a close. We all remember the things Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have done to inspire many other women. Years down the line, children will be learning about the athlete who took a hiatus at the peak of their career to fight for social justice. Maya Moore is creating history right in front of our eyes.
Maya Moore – The Basketball Player
Moore has proven herself to be a great basketball player time and time again. At the University of Connecticut, she led the Huskies to two national championships and was named Naismith College Player of the Year twice. Moore’s success at UConn led to the Minnesota Lynx taking her first overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
As a member of the Lynx, she was a four-time champion and the 2014 MVP. Moore’s success also got her onto Team USA where she received two Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. To put it briefly Maya Moore is one of the best to ever play the game. While she is great on the court, Maya Moore is creating history by her efforts away from the court.
Maya Moore – The Humanitarian
The above bible verse was the primary driver for Maya Moore to take the next step in her life. In 2019, she decided to step away from the WNBA to verify within herself that she was “living out [her] purpose.” She felt as though spending more time with her family and understanding her faith would help fulfill this purpose.
Jonathan Irons was a convicted felon that Moore met during a prison ministry trip in 2007. She learned about his story of false imprisonment and dedicated her life to getting the truth through the court system. Moore told NBC News “Over ten thousand people may be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes. Every year. And I know one of them.”
Irons was incarcerated in 1997 convicted of assault and battery and given a 50-year sentence. The evidence was essentially nonexistent. There was no DNA, fingerprints, or any other physical evidence. A public defender that did not believe in the case advised him not to testify in court. Moore was upset by this and offered help in the appeal process even assisting in covering some of the fees associated with an appeal.
On July 1, 2020, all of the hard work was proven successful as Irons was finally released from prison after over 20 years of incarceration.
Maya Moore is creating history not only by stepping away from her career to fight for justice for one individual, but she brought attention to a flawed system that has affected thousands of individuals. Moore has used her platform to benefit not only her family and friends but society as a whole. While unfortunately everyone wrongly convicted will not have the same luck as Irons, hopefully, a few more will have a similar story thanks to this case and all of the publicity it has received.
Whether Moore ever decides to return to the WNBA or not, her efforts and selflessness both on and off the court will be remembered and admired for many years to come.
For more WNBA articles as well as other women’s sports, visit Beyond Women’s Sports. And follow me on Twitter @CAman520.
