The Minnesota Lynx will retire Maya Moore’s number 23 against the Indiana Fever.

The generational change in the WNBA is a few months away. The start of the 2023 season will mark the retirement of Maya Moore’s iconic number 23, in the same game in which the arrival of the league’s future star, Caitlin Clark, is expected.

This Monday, the Minnesota Lynx announced that they will retire Moore’s legendary jersey in their first game of the 2023 season, on August 24 against the Indiana Fever, a team that could already have Clark among its ranks by that time.

The Iowa Hawkeyes guard has already announced that she will forgo her fifth year of eligibility to try her luck in professional basketball, and analysts expect the Fever to take the opportunity and select Clark in the first round of the 2024 Draft.

Moore’s retirement

Maya Moore was a Minnesota stalwart during her eight active seasons, in which she led the team to four titles, in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. The UConn Huskies product finished her career with averages of 18.4 points, 3.3 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game.

However, Moore decided to take a break at the height of her career to dedicate herself to social and justice causes. In 2018, she announced that she would be taking a break to join the team defending Jonathan Irons, her now-husband, from a wrongful prison sentence for alleged burglary and assault.

The relationship between Moore and Clark

Maya Moore was one of Caitlin Clark’s great idols. The former Lynx player was even present in the audience when the Hawkeyes guard broke the NCAA record for most career points, which belonged to Pete Maravich.

Now, Moore could pass the baton to Clark in the Lynx and Fever’s season opener on August 24. This matchup has another special meaning for Moore, as she faced Indiana twice in the WNBA Finals, in 2013 and 2015, with one victory each.