“Fight for what she believes in”: Tamika Catchings draws powerful support to Maya Moore’s decision to leave WNBA career for her husband

Former Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore stepped down from the WNBA for her husband, Jonathan Iroms, after making her sixth All-Star appearance in 2018. This decision had left many baffled at the time, but Fever legend Tamika Catchings showed her full support for Moore's decision on Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina, Catchings expressed strong support for Moore. She praised Moore's decision to step away from the WNBA to help her husband, Irons, secure his release from prison.

"I think with Maya, being able to use her voice, that’s something that has impressed me even as a young player coming in. She is going through her career and even is stepping out to fight for Jonathan," Catchings expressed.

The former WNBA champion continued to show her support for Moore, claiming she fought for what she "believes in."

"I was with Maya. We support Maya. I supported Maya 100%. Maya is going to fight for what she believes in. She doesn’t make decisions just on a whim," she said.

"As someone who has been around her, how I feel for her is that I know whatever Maya chooses is the right path for Maya."

Moore stepped away from the WNBA while still at the top of her game. She had guided the Lynx to four championships and four straight playoff runs before taking a break in 2019. Despite her incredible success, she chose to step back for her husband, a decision that paid off when his 50-year sentence was overturned in 2020.

In the following years, Moore continued to advocate for change in criminal justice, missing the 2020 Olympics, before retiring from basketball in 2023.

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Maya Moore once opened up about her retirement, claiming she needed a "shift" to be closer to family

Maya Moore's retirement from the WNBA wasn't straightforward and had a lot of factors in play. However, in 2023, she opened up on her decision to leave the game, during an appearance on ESPN.

"My retirement journey has been a little unorthodox," she said (Timestamp: 1:09 onwards).

"I was sensing a shift to be more rooted at home, more present for my family, for Jonathan's efforts, and I stepped away and just tried to shift that focus and then realized, okay, it's time to officially close this chapter."

Maya Moore retired from the WNBA as one of the most decorated players in the league, having won four WNBA titles, making six All-Star appearances.