Lori Mortensen - Maya Moore: Basketball Star

Maya is not superstitious, but she does follow a routine before a game. She likes to listen to music on the bus or in the car on her way there. All I Need Is You by Lecrae, Take Me to the King by Tamela Mann, and Sweet Victory by Trip Lee are a few favorites from her gospel-hip hop mix.

Mayas journey to basketball stardom began June 11, 1989. She was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. Maya lived with her mother in a small apartment. Her mother named her after writer Maya Angelou. Growing up, Maya didnt know her father. He was Mike Dabney, a former Rutgers basketball star. He left before she was born. Maya has met him, but she doesnt like to talk about him.

Maya hugs her mom after a game in 2011.

As a kid Maya was always in motion. To burn some of that energy, her mother kept her involved in a lot of activities. Maya especially liked shooting a ball into a mini hoop that hung on the back of a door. Three-year-old Maya spent hours racing down the hallway and dropping shots through the hoop.

When Maya was 8 years old, she got a new basketball hoop the kind with sand in the bottom. She spent hours in the driveway. She worked on her layups, three-pointers, and free throws. If she bounced the ball off the curb just right, she could grab it midair and drop an awesome alley-oop. Wham!

The best piece of advice I had growing up is find a routine, do the same thing every time, and keep it simple. I dribble three times and shoot it. Its a huge part of the game.

Maya Moore in Maya Moore Teaches the Perfect Shot Team USA Youtube video, August 28, 2012

FACT

Maya is also a talented drummer. When she was 10, she started Mayas Mobile Car Wash to earn money for a drum set. She still plays today.

Research and Rsums

In 1996 the WNBA signed its first players. It was about the same time Maya got her basketball hoop. Maya loved watching the women battle it out on TV. They showed her what was possible.

When Maya was 11, she and her mom moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Her mother started a new job at a phone company. A year later, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where her mother worked at a bank.

Although home life was good, middle school was tough. By now 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) Maya towered over most of her classmates. They made fun of her size 13 shoes. But her mother had plans for her. She helped Maya focus on her future. Maya researched colleges. She wrote letters and sent out rsums. Her mother also told her that colleges dont just want nice letters. They want good grades and stats. My mom showed me how important it is to surround yourself with opportunities and make the most of them, said Maya.

Former WNBA star Cynthia Cooper

FACT

Young Mayas favorite WNBA stars were Cynthia Cooper and Marion Jones.

Knowing that being a basketball player was okay, as a female, it was cool, it was exciting. You could say, I want to be a pro basketball player, and it was possible. We had a place.

Maya Moore on watching the WNBA, Minneapolis City Pages, July 21, 2016

High School Success

Maya enrolled at Collins Hill High School. By this time she was determined to succeed at everything. And she did. Maya was named to the USA Today freshman and sophomore All-America teams. She was back-to-back Naismith National Player of the Year. Her high school team racked up three state titles. In her time there, the team held a 1253 record.

In 2007 Maya graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA. She was ready to launch the plan shed had since middle school college basketball. If colleges didnt know her name before, they knew it now. Everybody wanted Maya Moore.

Maya playing high school ball in 2007

FACT

In addition to basketball, Maya was a track and field athlete in high school. She was the state runner-up in the high jump.

CHAPTER 3

Driven to Win

Maya chose the University of Connecticut (UConn). She knew Huskie coach Geno Auriemma wouldnt treat her like a star. Together they would review her plays, find her weaknesses, and make her better.

Maya takes a shot during her first season of play at UConn.