Having led the American national team to a 56-2 record throughout the years, which includes leading last fall’s FIBA World Championship gold winning team in scoring, Minnesota Lynx all-star wing Maya Moore was named the 2014 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
More from USA Basketball’s official announcement:
Following a summer in which she helped lead USA Basketball to the 2014 FIBA World Championship gold medal and was named MVP of the tournament along the way, Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx) today was announced as the 2014 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.
“I’m so fortunate to be around the best in the world through USA Basketball,” Moore said. “It was a true privilege to contribute to an awesome team again this year at the World Championship. I’m honored to have the opportunity to be named USA Basketball’s Female Athlete of the Year.”
Moore started in all six games and averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest to help the USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team to a 6-0 record and the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship from Sept. 27-Oct. 5 in Istanbul, Turkey. The win qualified the USA for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
“Maya not only was a tremendous team leader for the USA during the World Championship, she also was an incredible individual performer, especially in the gold medal game,” said USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director Jim Tooley . “Maya is very deserving of the 2014 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award, and we are proud to acknowledge her incredible accomplishments.”
The 2014 gold medal was Moore’s second-consecutive FIBA World Championship title, and her sixth gold medal overall with USA Basketball. USA Basketball teams with Moore on the roster have combined for a 56-2 all-time record.
“Maya is just relentless,” said USA head coach Geno Auriemma (University of Connecticut), who was named as a 2014 USA Basketball Co-National Coach of the Year. “Her incredible level of competitiveness and the energy that she brings is second to none, and she just finds a way to be on winning teams. That (gold-medal) game against Spain is the perfect example of how valuable she is and how she can set the tone for the entire game. Maya has had an incredible pro career since she left UConn, and she had an incredible career with USA Basketball and she’s not finished yet; I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in the future.”
In the 2014 Worlds, she shot 52.9 percent from the field (37-70 FGs), 51.9 percent from 3-point (14-27 3pt FGs) and 80.0 percent from the line (4-5 FTs).
Among all participants in the 16-team field, she was tied for third in 3-point field goals made (2.33) and ranked fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.519), fourth in scoring (15.3), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.33), 11th for field goal percentage (.529), tied for 11th in assists (3.5), 15th for offensive rebounds (2.17) and tied for 17th in rebounding (6.0).
