Note to fans of Maya Moore: When she leads the Minnesota Lynx twice this weekend against the WNBA Atlanta Dream, she will not bring any bling.
Her splash into the pro game, as the No. 1 draft pick and a deal as the first women’s basketball player to hawk Nike’s Jordan Brand, hasn’t changed her life much, her style even less. She’s gotten used to being on top of every level of her sport, so as a purely practical matter, what’s the point of changing?
“I have not splurged on anything,” she said in a conference call from Minneapolis earlier this week, shortly after her 21st birthday.
“I bought a pair of sandals, but I don’t think that counts as splurging. ... I’ll save my money, and I might buy something nice after some thought and planning. It won’t be anything crazy.”
The Dream (1-3) will see more of Moore starting Friday, when they play the Lynx (3-1) away at 8 p.m. On Sunday, the teams rematch at 3 p.m. at Philips Arena — the only major local hardwood that Moore hasn’t touched. “I feel like I’ve been to a Thrashers game,” she said, but never had the chance to even see the Hawks while she was leading Collins Hill to three state titles and a 125-3 record.
The three-time Wade Trophy winner (for national college player of the year) still considers Atlanta her home base, especially since her mother, Kathryn, moved back from Connecticut. She talked with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about graduation, differences she’s observed in the pro game, feelings about Atlanta, and staying in touch with President Obama.
Q: Has anything surprised you about the WNBA level of play?
A: Some of the games have been pretty quick turnarounds. That’s been an adjustment. Going from playing a game, then waking up at 5 a.m. to get on the bus to go back and practice, then have another game, that’s not easy.
Q: How does your team match up with Atlanta?
A: It’s going to be a battle of the boards. These are the two best rebounding teams in the league. They are long and disruptive in the lane, and we try to do the same thing. They run in transition with a lot of scoring, and they are pretty big, too. ... The poise of my team will come through, I hope. I feel like Lindsay Whalen at the point, the experience in Taj [McWilliams-Franklin], and Seimone [Augustus] brings a sense of calm as well.
Q: What’s significant about Sunday’s game in Atlanta?
A: It will be a special moment ... returning not only to the state, but the general area where a lot of basketball memories happened to and for me. It was where I dreamed and had the “I want to be in the WNBA one day” kind of talk. It’s cool to return as a WNBA player.
Q: So your mom didn’t move with you to Minnesota?
A: She just moved back to Atlanta. That’s the home base that we both like. ... In Atlanta, we’ve got a lot of family, and our church is there. There are a lot of reasons to love Atlanta. ... It’s one of those places where you can pick up where you left off. Everything’s familiar.
Q: Do you expect an entourage for Sunday’s game?
A: Oh man, right now, I know it’s in the hundreds.
Q: You and college teammate Kemba Walker led the students into the UConn graduation last month at your arena. You finished with a 3.7 GPA in sports media and promotion. How significant was that moment?
A: Graduation was overlooked with all the basketball hype, but it was a moment to appreciate. To walk away and see the look on my mom and grandparents’ faces and see how proud they were. I come from a family of educators, and my grandparents both worked in the educational system for 70-plus years. ... I’m the oldest girl in the generation I grew up in, and I know my younger cousins see what I am doing and I’ve set the bar to have all of us graduate from college and reach our potential.
Q: You played under pressure, first in high school, then when your college team set the national record for consecutive victories (90), now as the WNBA top draft pick. Is pressure always the same feeling, or does it intensify?
A: When I think of pressure, I think of a million [Connecticut] coach [Geno] Auriemma quotes. It took me a while to realize that he was always giving me quotes that were really from someone else! He’d always tell us, “You feel pressure when you’re not prepared.” ... Obviously at this higher level, there’s more pressure because everyone is better. Even though you’re prepared, you could get beat, because on a professional level, even if you play your best, in one night one team can play better. The margin is a lot smaller. I prepare as best as I can, and the pressure I put on myself is greater than anyone else can put on me.
Q: What has the transition to the WNBA talent level been like?
A: When the pressure is on, when you have people challenging you at the top level, it forces you to play at the highest level and that’s what I try to do. I’ve made turnovers and bad decisions, but most of the time, it’s pushed me to rise and play better. The WNBA players are bigger, faster and longer. Your passes have to be more clean and crisp. Driving in the lane, I have to finish better.
Q: Have you been in touch with the President?
A: No, I haven’t been to any White House pickup games. I know he’s been pretty busy these last couple of months. I haven’t wanted to bother him [laughs]. I’m pretty sure he’s kept up with the [NBA] playoffs to keep his mind off things. I’ve been riding high from being able to participate in his birthday [in August 2010] with all the NBA guys. ... His daughters, I think, also enjoy being active and watching [NBA] highlights or the games. They clearly love the game of basketball, and it’s fun to know that when we’re out there playing.
