Lynx star Maya Moore was named the 2014 female athlete of the year by USA Basketball. Moore was the tournament MVP in leading the USA team to the 2014 FIBA World Championship gold medal, which qualified it for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
The 2014 gold medal was Moore's second consecutive in FIBA World Championships and her sixth overall with USA Basketball. American teams are 56-2 with Moore on them.
Moore led last year's USA team in the FIBA tournament with a 15.3-point average, and also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as her team went 6-0.
"Maya is just relentless," said USA team coach Geno Auriemma, who was also Moore's coach at the University of Connecticut. "Her incredible level of competitiveness and the energy that she brings is second to none, and she just finds a way to be on winning teams. ''
This is the first time that Moore has won the award. In the previous four years, Breanna Stewart (2013 and 2011) and Diana Taurasi (2012 and 2010) each won twice.
Four other current or former Lynx have been named female athlete of the year by USA Basketball: Katie Smith in 2008, Candice Wiggins in 2007, Seimone Augustus in 2003 and Teresa Edwards in 2000, 1996 and '90.
Moore was the MVP in the WNBA this past season when she averaged a league-best 23.9 points. Last winter she averaged 39.3 points to lead Shanxi Flame to a second consecutive Women's Chinese Basketball Association championship.
