SU Hosts WNBA Star Maya Moore for Conversation Surrounding Sports, Justice and a Higher Purpose

Yaw Bonsu, SYRACUSE N.Y. – As a part of the 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at Syracuse University, Maya Moore was hosted for a conversation surrounding sports, spirituality and the pursuit of justice.

After stepping away from basketball in 2019, Moore believed she had a larger purpose. “By deeply engaging with my purpose, I’ve realized that my priorities were shifting,” Moore said in the discussion. “That is what I’ve been engaging in the last couple of years.”

However, even with her career being what other athletes dream of, Moore discussed her untapped potential, which included advocating for change in law enforcement. The one championship she was chasing, was Jonathan Irons’ freedom.

“His story and his life and the inspiration of his pursuit of freedom and his surviving in a place of death and just everything that meant to our family, it was just this real-life freedom story that we were all pursuing,’ Moore said.

At the time Moore met Irons, he was serving a 50-year prison sentence for assault and burglary. After stepping away from the court for a second-straight season, Moore continued to work with Irons’ attorney to prove his innocence.

Because of her efforts, it was ruled that there was no evidence or credible witness to tie Irons to the crime.

On July 1st, 2020, Irons was released from jail and met an emotional Moore on her knees. “To have somewhere to be home, I’m so grateful,” Irons said in an Instagram post following his release. “I’m going to help the ones that I can.”

Following Irons’ release, he got married to Moore. “We partnered our lives into continuing to try to pursue life,” Moore said. “For ourselves and people that we can help.”