Lynx star Maya Moore won't play basketball in 2019

Published Feb. 5, 2019 3:28 p.m. ET

Bad news for the Minnesota Lynx and the WNBA: Maya Moore announced Wednesday that she will not be playing any professional basketball in 2019.

In an article posted on The Players' Tribune, Moore said she is going to spend this year focusing "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."

The first overall pick out of UConn in the 2011 WNBA draft by the Lynx, Moore has averaged 18.4 points over her eight seasons, which includes four championships and an MVP award.

In 2018, Moore averaged 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals.

Moore has also played for Team USA as well as overseas, most recently in Russia in 2018 before the start of the WNBA season.

"As she recently shared, Maya has expressed a need to shift her attention more fully to family and ministry dreams in a way that she has been unable to as a professional basketball player. We support her in this exploration and will continue to provide her the love and care she has always known from her Lynx family," Minnesota general manager and head coach Cheryl Reeve said in a statement.

Minnesota recently signed free-agent forward Karima Christmas-Kelly and re-signed guard Seimone Augustus.

The Lynx open the season Saturday, May 25 at home against Chicago. And for the first time in nine years, Moore will not be on the court for Minnesota.