Basketball Player Maya Moore on Training for the London 2012 Olympics
Twenty-two-year-old professional athlete Maya Moore is arguably the best female basketball player in America. Last year, the University of Connecticut alum was the first overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft, and she helped the Minnesota Lynx team win its first championship while earning the honor of Rookie of the Year. Now, the First Team All-American athlete is anticipating traveling overseas for the Olympic Games and proving that she's one of the top players in the world. Read on to learn all about Maya.
Mitchell Haaseth/NBC1/7The WNBA athlete shares how she fights nerves and what she likes to eat on game days.
Photo: Jordan Brand2/7"This has been a year of dreams coming true. I fulfilled my first dream by playing my first year in the WNBA, and now I'm a finalist for the Olympics. Every opportunity that I have to practice, train, and prepare for my sport, I'm going to do it to the best of my abilities so that by the time I reach the Olympics, I'm prepared."
"Training for me is pretty varied. Right now, I'm in season. I'll practice for an hour and a half a day, and that will include different drills and running. I have a week where I'll lift weights to maintain my strength, and I always do a lot of stretching."
Photo: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Olympics3/7"I like to have a routine on game days. I usually start by having a good meal that includes carbs and protein. I love pasta in any shape or form; I could probably eat it for every meal of the day! I'll add a meat sauce for protein. I make sure that I'm relad, rested, and mentally prepared for the opponent I'm facing. This means that I've studied the players' tendencies and feel like I'm prepared to know what the other team is going to do. On the way to the gym, I listen to some good music. Some of my favorite artists are Christian rappers. One of them is named Lecrae, and another is an artist named Cantor Jones."
Photo: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Olympics4/7"Nike's Jordan sneaker is my favorite. That's the brand that I'm a part of, and it's been a cool opportunity to be a Jordan athlete. When wearing a Jordan sneaker, you automatically get credit as being stylish—athlete, non-athlete, whatever. I can always be comfortable in a pair of jeans and a low heel. I don't have a lot of time to put an outfit together, so I like to keep it simple and dress up a basic top with accessories. A nice scarf or hoop earrings make an outfit a little flashy, but more simple and classic is my style."
Photo: Jordan Brand5/7"Music is one of my passions, and drumming is a hobby that I picked up as a kid. One of my older cousins had a drum set. For a couple of months, I washed cars for my mom's co-workers, neighbors, and family members, and bought my own drum set that I still have to do this day. That was when I was about ten years old. I never officially took lessons and I'm not a part of a group. I just listen to music in my headphones and play along. I would love to learn to play the guitar."
Photo: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Olympics6/7"Mental preparation is the key to fighting nerves. For example, if you go into a test in school and you haven't studied at all, you're going to be extremely nervous. But if you go into the test and you studied the night before, made your flashcards, and went to your study group, you're going to be really confident. It's the same thing in sports. If you work hard, practice, and mentally prepare and focus in that week leading up to the game, you should feel excited and ready to go into the game."
Photo: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Olympics7/7"I'm excited to do a lot of learning and see the sights in London. I'm a history nerd. When I get a chance to learn about the history of the land or the culture, I really do enjoy it. England is such a history-rich country. I'm looking forward to it all."
