Maya Moore wins prestigious Sports Illustrated Performer of the Year award

One thing Maya Moore knows how to do is win. She has been leading her teams to championships for years. Her winning mentality and work ethic helped the Minnesota Lynx capture its fourth WNBA Championship – tied for first with the now debunked Houston Comets – this last October.

Sports Illustrated announced today, Moore has been named its Performer of the Year, the newest award presented. Moore played a key role in helping the Lynx overcome the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA Finals Series after trailing 2-1. Before the championship though, Moore has been instrumental in assisting in winning titles for her WNBA team, during the Olympics, overseas in the Chinese league, and even when she played at UConn.

Moore will be honored on SI’s upcoming special Sportsperson of the Year issue, as well as, be honored at the 2017 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year event. The event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. For the first time ever, the award show will be broadcast on national television on Dec. 8 at 8 pm ET on NBCSN.

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers (Rising Star) and Carlos Beltran of the World Series-winning Houston Astros (Hope Award) will join Moore at the event next week to be honored.

Executive Editor of Sports Illustrated, Steve Cannella stated the following in a press release on the three honorees:

“There are so many great athletes making a difference for their team and for their communities, and recognizing success in both arenas is important to us at Sports Illustrated. Joel, Maya, and Carlos embody the best of these qualities and we are excited to honor them at this year’s SI Sportsperson of the Year Awards show.”

An encore of the event is scheduled to be re-aired on NBCSN on Dec. 10 at 10 pm ET and Dec. 12 at 11:30 pm ET.