What does MVP Moore do as an encore? She wants to do it all for Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS -- What do you give the girl who has it all?
More of it. Or more accurately, them.
As in championships. This year. Next year. Ten years from now.
"I want to be a lot for my team," Lynx forward Maya Moore says, "because I can."
Can. Has. Will, she promises.
Once an MVP season has come and gone, talk turns to the encore. How can you best yourself when you're already the best? For Moore, the answer is simple -- bring more championships to Minnesota.
Plural.
She's no stranger. Including a third straight Chinese League championship this past winter, Moore has claimed eight crowns at the collegiate, Olympic and professional levels. She's been a national player of the year, rookie of the year and most valuable player.
But defeat resounds just as strongly as victory -- most recently, falling apart in the second half of Game 3 in last year's Western Conference finals against eventual WNBA champion Phoenix.
"Results are definitely something that you think about," said Moore, who signed a multiyear extension with the Lynx last month. "More than anything, I always look at the way I played, the way our team played. Those things stick with you more . . . "
And in Year 5 of her already-illustrious career, Moore thinks she can do more to prevent another heartbreak. So do the majority of women's hoops observers, including the WNBA's general managers, who picked the Lynx to win their third championship in five years and Moore to repeat as the league's top player.
Individually, she wants to join the 50-40-90 club, eclipsing those percentages on field-goal attempts, 3-point tries and free throws, respectively. Work on her decision making, specifically shot selection. Become more of a distributor, especially as defenses continue to send more help her direction (Moore ranked 20th in the league in assists last season with 3.4 per game). Get to the free-throw line (even though her 5.3 attempts per game ranked third). Use her length, athleticism and tenacity to stymie the WNBA's glut of talented wing players on defense.
She wants to morph into more of a leader, too. Not just for the team, which features veterans Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson, but for the sport, as evidenced in Moore's recent Players Tribune article in which she discussed the missed opportunities to promote women's basketball in America and pledged to do her part to correct it.
Need an example? Look no further than fellow Connecticut alumna Diana Taurasi's decision to skip this WNBA season at the financial behest of her European team.
"It's a big deal," Moore said. "It's something that has been a part of the reality of being a professional women's basketball player, as far as the unfortunate aspect of there is a reality of having to choose -- trying to get paid your value while you still can play, versus playing in the league that you love and is the most competitive one in the world."
That's far more outspoken than the shy, unassuming rookie who came here in 2011 and rarely talked out of turn. Moore, 25, says she feels more mature.
During the past half-decade, she's become more structured. Overhauled her eating and training habits. Grown used to the constant media attention. Become part of a global brand with Jordan. Devoted more time to community initiatives and her Christian beliefs.
She's as humble as ever. But she's no longer a kid.
"Time management is so huge," Moore said. "In college, it's a little more structured; as a pro, you don't have anybody telling you what to do. You have to figure it out, and just figuring that out behind the scenes more so than in front of you guys is something that I think I've found a rhythm for -- wanting to do so many awesome things off the court, but also, at the same time, spending time on my craft, finding that balance as well."
Balance. Agility. Strength. Modesty. All Moore trademarks.
And all necessary if she's going to add to her ring collection.
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