Maya Moore wins 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player award

Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx is the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player. She Moore received 371 points (including 35 first-place votes) from a national panel of 38 sportswriters and broadcasters.

The press conference for the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player will take place tonight before the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals when the Lynx host the San Antonio Stars.

For Moore, the reigning MVP of the WNBA Finals nd the league’s 2011 Rookie of the Year, this is the first regular-season MVP honor of her career. The University of Connecticut product and two-time WNBA champion finished as the runner-up to Candace Parker in MVP voting a year ago and finished fourth behind winner Tina Charles in 2012.

This season, Moore guided the Lynx to a 25-9 record and the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs, despite the club being without injured All-Stars Rebekkah Brunson and Seimone Augustus for 23 and 10 games, respectively.

For the regular season, Moore played in all 34 games and paced the league in scoring (23.9 ppg), the third-highest average in WNBA history behind the 25.3 ppg and 24.1 ppg by Diana Taurasi in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

The WNBA’s top draft pick in 2011, Moore opened the 2014 season by scoring 135 points over her first four outings, marking the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history. With that effort, the fourth-year pro became the first player in league history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points after pouring in 34 points at Washington; 33 vs. Connecticut; a then-career-high 38 at Tulsa; and 30 vs. New York. She went on to finish the regular season with a league-record 12 games of 30-plus points, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Diana Taurasi in 2008.

Moore also finished the season ranked atop the WNBA in made field goals (295) and was second in minutes (34.7 mpg) and free throws made (160). Moore placed eighth in rebounding (8.1 rpg), tied for third in three-point field goals made (62), fourth in free throw percentage (.884, 160-of-181), tied for fourth in steals (1.88 spg), sixth in double-doubles (10), and 20th in assists (3.4 apg). In addition to leading her club in scoring, Moore placed second on the Lynx in rebounding and assists, and third in blocks (0.82 bpg).

Moore earned three of the four Western Conference Player of the Month awards and was named the conference’s Player of the Week five times, becoming the first player in league history to win Player of the Week honors in four consecutive weeks.

MVP Voting Results

Points	Player	Team
371	Maya Moore	Minnesota Lynx
242	Diana Taurasi	Phoenix Mercury
112	Angel McCoughtry	Atlanta Dream
91	Candace Parker	Los Angeles Sparks
67	Brittney Griner	Phoenix Mercury

Previous MVPs

Year	Player	Team
2013	Candace Parker	Los Angeles Sparks
2012	Tina Charles	Connecticut Sun
2011	Tamika Catchings	Indiana Fever
2010	Lauren Jackson	Seattle Storm
2009	Diana Taurasi	Phoenix Mercury
2008	Candace Parker	Los Angeles Sparks
2007	Lauren Jackson	Seattle Storm
2006	Lisa Leslie	Los Angeles Sparks
2005	Sheryl Swoopes	Houston Comets
2004	Lisa Leslie	Los Angeles Sparks
2003	Lauren Jackson	Seattle Storm
2002	Sheryl Swoopes	Houston Comets
2001	Lisa Leslie	Los Angeles Sparks
2000	Sheryl Swoopes	Houston Comets
1999	Yolanda Griffith	Sacramento Monarchs
1998	Cynthia Cooper	Houston Comets
1997	Cynthia Cooper	Houston Comets