Dawn Staley credits WNBA star Maya Moore for ‘growing the game’ upon retirement news

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley remembers coaching WNBA star Maya Moore in the 2016 Olympic games — observing her, while being in awe of her preparation.

“I marveled at her warmup,” Staley said. “She’s full-sweat. Warmup. I’m talking before stretching. She attacked everything like that.”

Moore announced her official retirement from the WNBA on Monday at the age of 33. She left the game in 2019 to pursue ministry, and later prison reform. She built a Hall of Fame caliber career, with four championships, six all-star appearances and an MVP award in eight seasons playing for the Minnesota Lynx.

Staley also coached against Moore in 2008 when Moore played with UConn. The Huskies’ star boasted a personal 150-4 record as a player in college, winning two Player of the Year awards and two national championships.

Though Staley didn’t have a close relationship with Moore, she recalled a conversation with her during the Olympics about what she’d want to do with her life years down the line.

“She didn’t really let on what she was doing, but it really sounded a little different than your normal conversation,” Staley said.

Moore was still in her prime when she left the WNBA at the age of 29, averaging 18 points per game in her final season.

She left initially to pursue ministry, she wrote in an article in The Players’ Tribune.

Moore later became part of a bigger story when she spent months trying to help free Jonathan Irons from a 50-year prison sentence. Irons was released in July 2020, and the two got married later that year.

Moore said on Monday in an interview with Good Morning America that the time was right for her to officially retire. She and Irons recently had a baby, so she’s looking to spent time with her family and do more work with her non-profit organization, Win With Justice.

“This is such a sweet time for us and our family and the work that we’ve done, I want to continue that in this next chapter,” Moore said. “I want to continue to be present at home for my community, for my family.”

Moore’s legacy as a player in college and the WNBA rests mostly on her dominance as a multi-time champion. She officially concludes her pro career with an 18.4 point-per-game average, and enters her next stage of life in the social justice field.

“She was a big part of growing the game for us,” Staley said. “And what she’s doing now is a big part of growing life. When you have that kind of impact, it’s sad to see her go. But at the same time, how heroic that she’s able to make a decision for her and stick with it no matter how much she got pressured.”