Basketball sensation Maya Moore-Irons was enshrined into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, with the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville buzzing as it honored one of the greats of the hardwood. Moore-Irons, whose tenure with UConn and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx solidified her as a top-tier talent, was in an induction class that delivered heavy star power and an unmistakable Minnesota connection.

The ceremony was marked by a palpable sense of celebration and nostalgia, as Moore-Irons, who recently made waves by stepping away from basketball to successfully fight to overturn the wrongful conviction of her now-husband Jonathan Irons, officially retired in January 2023. "Jonathan, my love, thank you for being such a great friend and encouragement and inspiration to me through all of the adversity of our story," Moore-Irons was quoted in an MSN article.

Not to be overshadowed, fellow Lynx legend Seimone Augustus also took the stage, bringing the house down with her humor-inflected speech. The duo, remembered for helping lead the Lynx to four WNBA championships and the U.S. to Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, embodied a dynasty arguably unrivaled in the league's history. As Augustus succinctly put it, "We like to win and win a lot," according to WVLT.

Apart from the dynamic duo, the night was about recognizing accomplishments across eras of the women's game. The legendary list of inductees included the likes of Taj McWilliams-Franklin and coach Roonie Scovel. There was also a historical nod to Cheyney University, which made a trailblazing NCAA Tournament championship game appearance in 1982. "We are very thankful, but 42 years?" questioned former Cheyney State player Valerie Walker in a statement that underscores both the honor and the overdue recognition the team received. This marked a highlight reel of women's basketball history, reported WVLT.

The evening wasn't just about those who had successfully shot hoops and drawn up plays, it also honored boundary-breakers like former official Violet Palmer, the first woman to referee an NBA game. In a career that saw Moore-Irons average an astounding 18.4 points per game and leads UConn to back-to-back NCAA championships, her legacy is solidified not just in the record books but also in the hearts of fans and players alike. "From Georgia to Connecticut I went in 2007 and became a part of some historic teams with Geno and CD," Moore-Irons reminisced in a statement, as per MSN.