Lynx Star Maya Moore Says She Will Sit Out 2019 WNBA Season
Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore will not be playing basketball next year, the 29-year-old forward announced in a piece onThe Players' Tribune.
"The success that I’ve been a part of in basketball truly blows my mind every time I think about it," Moore wrote. "But the main way I measure success in life is something I don’t often get to emphasize explicitly through pro ball."
Moore said she measures success by asking herself if she's living out her purpose–a purpose, she says, which is "to know Jesus and make him known." Moore explained that the bible verse she includes in her autograph (Colossians 3:23) says to work for the Lord in "whatever you do."
The five-time WNBA All-Star wants to shift her focus from professional basketball to the "whatever," alluded to in the verse.
"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," Moore continued. "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."
Moore was taken as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 WNBA draft by the Lynx. The former Connecticut star has won two championships with the Huskies and four WNBA Championships.
Moore has played in 271 WNBA games and averaged 18.4 points, 3.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game through eight seasons. It was reported earlier this year that Moore was considering sitting out the entire 2019 season, but whether or not she will officially retire remains unknown.