On Saturday night, Maya Moore, the legendary player for the Minnesota Lynx, had his jersey retired for all time. Following the Lynx’s 90-80 victory over the Indiana Fever, Moore’s No. 23 jersey was hoisted to the ceiling of Target Center, marking her official retirement from the WNBA one year later. As the first woman to sign with Jordan basketball shoes, Moore was presented with a personalized Jordan basketball shoe chest in front of a record Lynx home crowd of 19,023.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers sent Moore some love during her emotional evening by sharing a brief note on X, the previous Twitter platform, complimenting the six-time All-Star and her accomplishments.
Before Saturday’s game, rookie Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever also gave a brief interview to media regarding Moore’s influence, stating that Moore was “the person for me growing up.”
In a postgame Q&A years ago, Moore and Clark had a pleasant reunion, Clark said. “I didn’t have a Sharpie, and I was at the age where I didn’t have a phone, so I kind of just ran away from my dad because I wanted to meet the players,” Clark recalled. “And I simply rushed over to give her a hug.” That event isn’t documented, but it was undoubtedly one of the most important ones in my memory throughout my whole basketball career.
In the history of the team, Moore’s No. 23 will be the fifth to be retired. She becomes the only player from the Lynx to have their jersey permanently placed in the rafters, joining Lindsay Whalen, Sylvia Fowles, Rebekkah Brunson, and Seimone Augustus, the other starters from the four-time WNBA title-winning club.
