UConn's Paige Bueckers is AP women's player of the year
UConn's star guard became the first freshman ever to win The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year award Wednesday, March 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)SAN ANTONIO – Paige Bueckers is in a class all by herself. UConn's star guard became the first freshman ever to win The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year award Wednesday. “It’s amazing, surreal for people to think of me that highly and to be in that position as a freshman,” Bueckers said. But I don’t think you can.”___More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
UConn frosh Paige Bueckers leads women's AP All-America team
The freshman guard has lived up to it so far, delivering record-breaking performances and earning a spot on The Associated Press women's basketball All-American team Wednesday. She's only the third freshman to make the AP team, joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and UConn's Maya Moore. “Name one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. She became the school's first women's basketball All-American last season. She was joined by Naz Hillmon, who is the first women's player at Michigan to earn All-America honors.
Maya Moore now wed, to wrongfully jailed man she helped free
NEW YORK – Basketball star Maya Moore has married Jonathan Irons, the Missouri man she helped work to free from prison after a 22-year-old wrongful conviction. Moore and Irons appeared together on ABC's “Good Morning America” on Wednesday to discuss their social justice efforts — and their relationship. Moore revealed that the two married this year, shortly after Irons was released on July 1. After Moore learned of his case and helped take up his cause, she and Irons developed a friendship on frequent visits to the prison. “I am trying to really just breathe from this long, long battle,” Moore said.
Trio of former UConn greats leading social justice charge
Montgomery and Tiffany Hayes appreciated what former UConn teammate Maya Moore was doing when the All-Star forward stepped away from basketball two years ago to focus on criminal justice reform. UConn coach Geno Auriemma has been impressed by what many of his former players are accomplishing off the court. They were following who they are.Montgomery and Hayes smiled at the thought that a dozen years ago the UConn players had any aspirations of being social activists. Both Hayes and Montgomery loved seeing Auriemma and his wife and family at a protest in his community last month. I knew my mind wasnt there, my heart wasnt there, Montgomery said.
WNBA Star Maya Moore Reunites With Missouri Man She Helped Get Released From Prison
A Missouri man was freed from prison Wednesday after a county prosecutor declined to retry his case, punctuating years of work by WNBA star Maya Moore and other supporters who argued he was falsely convicted of burglary and assault charges. Moore was one of the first people Jonathan Irons, 40, saw when he was released. The 31-year-old Moore, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native, starred at UConn before helping lead Minnesota to four WNBA titles. "I feel like I can live life now," Irons told CBS St. Louis affiliate KMOV. "I'm free, I'm blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God's help and influence."