At 29 years old, Maya Moore was arguably the greatest women’s basketball player in the world. In just a few years in the WNBA, she had racked up for WNBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, a WNBA MVP trophy and three WNBA All-Star Game MVP awards. Then, she made a decision that shocked many around the world of basketball. She took a sabbatical.
It was unheard of for a top athlete to take a sabbatical in the middle of her career, by Moore had a true purpose. She dedicated her time and effort toward securing the freedom of man named Jonathan Irons who was wrongfully convicted of a robbery that landed him in jail for 50 years. Thankfully, Moore’s tireless efforts alongside numerous nonprofit organizations secured Irons’ release. Shortly thereafter, Moore and Irons decided to get married.
ESPN has decided to put center the next installment of their 30 For 30 documentary series around Maya Moore. Entitled Breakaway, the film “chronicles a search for justice, and a relationship that changed the lives of two people forever.”
“I wanted to make this film not only to honor and celebrate the incredible criminal justice reform advocacy that Maya has been working toward with Jonathan Irons, but also to tell a very human story that is often told inhumanely,” director Rudy Valdez said.
“I hope the film sheds light on how society demonizes both those behind bars and those connected at home and inspires people to find inner strength and fight against a system that does not want us to win.”
Breakaway will debut on July 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Check out the trailer below.
