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MLK Day: Maya Moore on the Privilege of Playing Today

Maya Moore Soars Through the Air for Two (Photo courtesy of UConn)
Maya Moore Soars Through the Air for Two (Photo courtesy of UConn)


Throughout the country, it's a special day.  We honor one of the greatest of all Americans in history, a man who selflessly gave until he could give no more, so that the country could be better, so the country could move forward toward equality.

On this Martin Luther King Day, the UConn women's basketball team will continue a tradition that has evolved over the years of playing a top ranked opponent, on national television; this year it's North Carolina.  It is a celebration of women's basketball, and it is a celebration of some of the equality that Dr. King worked and inspired for. 

It isn't a reach to say that a game like this would not have happened, were it not for Dr. King.  Most likely not a women's basketball game period, and certainly not one in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

After UConn played Louisville on Saturday, among the questions on points and injuries, rebounds and assists, I asked Georgia's current favorite daughter, Husky senior Maya Moore, a veteran of these MLK Day games now, what it meant to her to be able to honor Dr. King and play in this very special game.

Dishin & Swishin: Maya Moore on the Honor and Importance of Playing on MLK Day