Maya Moore on Obama: 'Don't let him catch and shoot'

The Lynx star was among those interviewed about the basketball-playing legacy of President Obama -- and how she got hustled during a White House with her college team.

January 20, 2017 at 2:44PM
Lynx star Maya Moore, left, was among those interviewed about the basketball-playing legacy of President Obama -- and how she got hustled during a White House visit with her college team.
Lynx star Maya Moore, left, was among those interviewed about the basketball-playing legacy of President Obama -- and how she got hustled during a White House visit with her college team. (Brian Wicker — Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

One of the things that will certainly change when Barack Obama leaves the White House is the emphasis on basketball as a presidential pursuit. As GQ magazine put it: "Among the many legacies President Obama will leave behind, there is this: he was the best basketball-playing President we've ever had."

The magazine published an oral history of Obama's basketball exploits, which featured interviews with players, entertainers and White House insiders. "I was shocked at how good he was," said Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul.

Lynx star Maya Moore makes a couple of appearances in the story. Telling about when Obama invited her University of Connecticut teams to the White House after it won the NCAA title and again when the Lynx paid a visit after one of their WNBA championships.

Here's Moore on Obama's game: "Don't let him catch and shoot. That's too easy. He has a funky little left-hand jumper, a little unorthodox, but it goes in. It's consistent. If it's not broke, don't fix it. You gotta make him put it on the floor. I know he's in shape, but if you're physical, that can take a lot out of a player, so try to be physical. Try to wear him down. And don't let him get in your head, Gary Payton-style."

And then there was the UConn visit, which featured a game of P-I-G and left Moore wondering: "Did we just get hustled."

To read that vignette, and a lot of other good stuff, you'll need to click here.

about the writer

about the writer

Howard Sinker

Digital Sports Editor

Howard Sinker is digital sports editor at startribune.com and curates the website's Sports Upload blog. He is also a senior instructor in Media and Cultural Studies at Macalester College in St. Paul.

See More

More from Lynx

card image

The Minnesota Star Tribune Sportsperson of the Year won Olympic gold, led the Lynx to the WNBA Finals and is starting a new women’s basketball league.

card image
card image