Maya Moore to receive Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2021 ESPYS

Basketball star Maya Moore will be this year's recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the 2021 ESPYs on July 10, ESPN announced Monday.

Moore put her playing career on hold In 2018 to focus on criminal justice reform after a dominant run that included four years at Connecticut and eight with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx.

The 32-year-old became a leading advocate for the release of Jonathan Irons, a Missouri man wrongfully convicted of burglary in 1998. After 23 years in prison, Irons walked free last July. Two months later, Moore and Irons announced they had married.

“I’m so honored to be able to continue to share this powerful story with the world by receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award,” Moore said. “In the face of injustice, the courage to care about justice, human dignity, and freedom is now able to be celebrated in this momentous way, and I’m so happy for Jonathan and all who helped contribute to this victory!”

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award honors "individuals whose contributions transcend sports," according to ESPN. Past winners include boxer Muhammad Ali (1997), tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King (1999), and former South African President Nelson Mandela (2009).