MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Lynx announced Thursday the team has re-signed forward Maya Moore to a multi-year contract.
Moore, a four-year veteran originally selected by the Lynx with the first overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft, started all 34 contests for Minnesota last season, running her consecutive-games-played streak to 136. Moore averaged a career-high and franchise-record 23.9 points per game, including a career-best 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing 34.7 minutes per game.
"We are thrilled that Maya will continue her career with the Minnesota Lynx," Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith said in a news release. "Maya has proven herself to be one of the best players in the WNBA after earning last season's WNBA MVP honor and helping our franchise win two championships in her young career. Her continued success and leadership will be great for our franchise moving forward."
During her four years with the Lynx, Minnesota made three consecutive WNBA Finals appearances, earning two WNBA Championships (2011 and 2013) and four straight Western Conference Finals. Since Moore was drafted in 2011, the Lynx have collected 25 wins for four consecutive years, becoming the first team in WNBA history to do so. The 105 victories in that span ties Los Angeles (2000-2003) for the league's most in a four-year span.
"I'm so excited to continue to compete for championships with the Lynx organization," Moore said in the news release. "It's been a privilege to work with some of the best teammates, coaches, staff, and ownership these past four years and I'm looking forward to many more."
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Named the 2014 WNBA MVP, Moore opened the 2014 season by scoring 135 points in her first four outings, marking the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history. She played in all 34 games and paced the league in scoring (23.9 ppg) with the third-highest average in WNBA history and went on to finish the regular season with a league-record 12 games of 30-plus points, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Diana Taurasi in 2008.
The 2011 Rookie of the Year has appeared in 136 career games (all starts) with the Lynx, averaging 18.0 points and 6.2 rebounds. She's appeared in 29 games during the playoffs over the last four seasons, averaging 17.4 points in 32.0 minutes per contest.
The Lynx will kick off their 17th season June 5 against the Tulsa Shock at 7 p.m. at the Target Center. Additional information is at Lynxbasketball.com or by calling 612-673-8400.
Maya Moore notable awards
2014 WNBA MVP
2011, 2013 WNBA champion
2013 WNBA Finals MVP
2013, 2014 First Team All-WNBA
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2011, 2013, 2014 WNBA All-Star
2014 FIBA World Championship MVP
2014 FIBA World Championship Gold Medal
2012 Olympic Gold Medal
2011 WNBA Rookie of the Year
No. 1 overall pick 2011 WNBA Draft
