Maya and Records

[MilfordHusky]

Maya Moore is becoming the Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Michael Jordan of the women's game, and she's all of 24.

Let's see:

125-3 in high school, with 3 state championships.

A record 150-4 at UConn, with 2 championships and 2 other Final Fours. Oh, and 90 wins in a row.

2 WNBA championships in 3 seasons and a loss in the finals last year. Has any other starter begun her career with that kind of success? What's the record for WNBA titles? Did Minny have the best record in the league each of her 3 seasons?

1 FIBA World Championship, while still in college. What's the record for WCs?

1 Olympic gold medal. Is the record 3 or 4?

1 Spanish League and Euroleague title.

1 Chinese League title.

I think this adds up to 12 championships in 16 opportunities. At "only" 2 of 4, her UConn career, incomprehensibly, represented the "lean" years. Magnificent Maya, the Invincible Queen.

 

[VAMike23]

Maya Moore is becoming the Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Michael Jordan of the women's game, and she's all of 24.

1 Olympic gold medal. Is the record 3 or 4?

Teresa Edwards has 4 Olympic golds (and one bronze, or it could have been a fifth). Not sure if anyone has tied or topped that.

Would be awesome if Maya could be the one to someday get her 5th gold ... She would be 38 during the 2028 Games (sounds like science fiction!) so it is a long shot , but if she really really takes care of her body, it's possible.......but with the talent pool growing, I would think the 2024 games could well be her last. She will be 34 then.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

2 WNBA championships in 3 seasons and a loss in the finals last year. Has any other starter begun her career with that kind of success? What's the record for WNBA titles? Did Minny have the best record in the league each of her 3 seasons?

Answering the WNBA portion of your post...

If you count players who were not professionals overseas before the WNBA started, then yes, there has been one other.

Tina Thompson, who graduated college in 1997 and was the #1 pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft, began her career with the Houston Comets and won 4 straight WNBA titles (1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000) in her first 4 seasons. Houston had the best record in the league in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and the second-best record in the league in 2000 (finishing at 27-5, to Los Angeles' 28-4, though Houston won the playoff series en route to the 2000 WNBA Championship).

Thompson was named First Team All-WNBA in 1997 and 1998 and was named Second Team All-WNBA in 1999 and 2000.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Yes, somewhere in my planned response would have been a reference to the Houston Comets, a dynasty built around legends Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes. Despite having watched the Tina Thompson farewell tribute at last three times, it had slipped my mind that she was a part of those great teams. Great response from the Estimable Dookie.

 

[VAUConnFan]

It can also be mentioned that Maya Moore is the only player in NCAA WBB history to record at least 2,5oo points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists, 250 steals, and 200 blocked shots. In addition, she is one of only two women to be named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year twice.

 

[UcMiami]

Lisa Leslie is the other 4 time Olympic Gold Medalist. Bird, Taurasi, and Catchings have a chance to join that crowd if they are on the 2016 team, and should Stewart make the 2016 team she might have a chance at the 5 though still unlikely given that she would get an earlier start than most age wise. I think in terms of total USA basketball golds, Stewart has a good chance to set an unbreakable mark given that she already has 5 and will likely get a few more of the lesser ones before the Olympic/WC ones even start. I don't think anyone has that many at such a young age.

 

[MilfordHusky]

How fortunate are we to have had Maya and to have Stewie (for 3 more years)!

 

[msf22b]

It is such a pleasure seeing all the great Maya moves that we remember so well

• The baseline jumper, sometimes from almost in back of the hoop
• The back and forth maneuver as she shakes free for her three point shot, leaving her defender both seasick and a step behind.
• The explosive move to the hoop, followed by a near dunk finger roll.
• The incessant movement to a new scoring position (even if Geno said that most of it was waster motion).

What a terrific athlete, still only 24, with effervescent personality, beauty and brains.
The next athlete politician in 15 years?