Minnesota Lynx

Maya Moore will miss her second straight WNBA season in 2020.

According to the New York Times' Kurt Streeter, the Minnesota Lynx star plans to sit out "so she can continue to push for criminal justice reform and the release of Jonathan Irons, a man she believes is innocent of the crime for which he was sentenced to prison."

Moore told Streeter: "I'm in a really good place right now with my life, and I don't want to change anything. Basketball has not been foremost in my mind. I've been able to rest, and connect with people around me, actually be in their presence after all of these years on the road. And I've been able to be there for Jonathan."

Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve issued a statement about the development.

"Over the last year we have been in frequent contact with Maya around the great work in criminal justice reform and ministry in which she is fully engaged," she said. "We are proud of the ways that Maya is advocating for justice and using her platform to impact social change."

Moore first announced on the Players' Tribune last February she wasn't going to suit up for the Lynx in 2019. She told Streeter in June that she had become focused on criminal justice reform.

Moore said she met Irons, who is serving a 50-year sentence for burglary and assault after being tried as an adult at 16, during a trip to the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Missouri in 2017.

The 30-year-old remains one of the WNBA's biggest stars. A four-time champion and the 2014 MVP, she averaged 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals through her first eight seasons.

By making her decision public now, Moore provides the Lynx with some time to recalibrate their roster if necessary. Teams can officially begin contract negotiations with free agents Jan. 28.

Seimone Augustus and Danielle Robinson are Minnesota's only free agents, and the 35-year-old Augustus acknowledged after last season that retirement is a possibility. She said in May she was looking to walk away after the upcoming campaign.

Moore's hiatus is unlikely to change much for the Lynx.

Her absence provided a silver lining, allowing younger players to assume larger roles than they might have otherwise.

Napheesa Collier averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 36.1 percent from beyond the arc en route to winning Rookie of the Year. Lexie Brown was a 38.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc and averaged 7.6 points while excelling as the backup point guard.

Assuming they continue to improve alongside the veteran duo of Odyssey Sims and Sylvia Fowles, an improvement on their 18 wins from 2019 is attainable for the Lynx even without Moore.

Minnesota Lynx guard Odyssey Sims was arrested June 6 on suspicion of driving under the influence in Minneapolis. 

According to an arrest report obtained by Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune, Sims was pulled over for speeding and a lane violation around 1 a.m. After she failed three field sobriety tests, Sims had two breathalyzer tests, one showing a reading of .206 and another at the police station showing .20. The legal limit in Minnesota is .08.

"The Minnesota Lynx are aware of the reported incident involving Odyssey Sims," the Lynx told the Star Tribune in a statement Wednesday. "As an organization we take these matters very seriously and continue to wait for the legal process to run its course and will have further comment when appropriate."

Sims has continued to play despite her arrest and was in the lineup less than 24 hours after the incident, putting up 15 points and six rebounds against the Phoenix Mercury. She is averaging 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds through the team's first 11 games.

Sims is facing two gross misdemeanor charges of third-degree DWI and is due back in court July 16.

Maya Moore is stepping away from professional basketball.

The Minnesota Lynx guard announced she would be sitting out the 2019 WNBA season and not playing overseas in an article for the Players' Tribune:

"My focus in 2019 will not be on professional basketball, but will instead be on the people in my family, as well as on investing my time in some ministry dreams that have been stirring in my heart for many years.

"I will certainly miss the day-to-day relationships with my teammates and basketball family this season, but my no for the 2019 pro season allows me to say yes to my family and faith family like I never have before.

"I'm sure this year will be hard in ways that I don't even know yet, but it will also be rewarding in ways I've yet to see, too."

Moore, 29, has spent her entire WNBA career with the Lynx. She's led the team to four championships while being named to five All-Star teams and seven All-WNBA teams. In addition to her WNBA career, Moore has had a successful career overseas, winning two Euroleague titles and three Chinese league championships.

Moore most recently played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia.

The 6-foot guard also won gold medals in 2012 and 2016 with Team USA and earned MVP honors as part of the winning squad at the 2014 FIBA World Championship. She was named one of the 20 greatest players in WNBA history in 2016. Moore also claimed a pair of NCAA titles at UConn.