By W.G, Ramirez
The Sporting Tribune
The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it’s 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
Maya Moore will go down as one of the greatest women’s basketball players, ever.
But what she’s meant to sport reaches far beyond the court.
Point blank, Moore not only reshaped what greatness should look like on the court, but also in the culture and beyond the sport.
Moore’s ticker-tape list of awards and accolades includes two Wooden Awards (2009, 2011), and certainly stems from a storied career. She played for arguably the greatest program ever, at UConn from 2007 through 2011, and stood out among some of the greatest players of her era.
The three-time National Player of the Year won two NCAA championships (2009, 2010) and turned in a staggering career record of 150-4, part of which included a 90-game winning streak.
As an elite scorer, defender, rebounder, and passer, Moore had no weaknesses in her game.
The four-time WNBA champion wasn’t just a star in a system that reshaped college basketball, she was the centerpiece of one of the most dominant eras in college basketball history.
Through her rise in the sport, Moore helped define what a modern women’s basketball superstar looks like, scoring at all three levels on the offensive end and being able to guard multiple positions on the defensive end.
Moore thrived both on and off the ball while playing her game with creativity, flair, and confidence.
While there were players before her who were specialists, Moore was everything at once, influencing how players are developed today.
Moore’s dominance and presence at the collegiate level transitioned seamlessly to the professional level, as she was an instantaneous success, her excellence immediately evident.
Moore didn’t waste anytime in inheriting the role as face of the WNBA, as she hoisted the Minnesota Lynx onto her shoulders en route to winning four championships and winning the league MVP in 2014.
She validated her college dominance and laid the blueprint for transitioning directly to pro greatness by becoming the key figure in one of the greatest dynasties in league history.
It didn’t stop there, though, as Moore also dominated internationally, winning two Olympic gold medals and two World Cup golds. Her persona alone helped raise the global profile of women’s basketball and showed that American stars could be both elite competitors and ambassadors.
Suddenly, in perhaps a profound move, her biggest impact may have come after basketball, as she stepped away from the WNBA while still considered the best player in the world to devote herself to criminal justice reform, while helping free Jonathan Irons after a wrongful conviction.
It was a decision that changed how athletes are viewed, showing a true human side by exhibiting kindness toward another person.
Moore’s greatness isn’t just about longevity or numbers. It became about purpose and principle, as she proved athletes could define success on their own terms.
Moore truly inspired a generation of players who value versatility, play with confidence and joy and understand their voice matters beyond the court.
Players today – both women and men – continue to talk about her as a blueprint, not just a highlight reel, because she wasn’t just one of the best players ever; she was a symbol of excellence, freedom, and purpose.
Maya Moore proved women’s basketball could be dominant, beautiful, powerful, and meaningful all at once.