Maya Moore Named Naismith Trophy Female High School Player of the Year

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ATLANTA (March 22, 2006) – Maya Moore from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga., has been named the 2006 Naismith Trophy Female High School Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.

The Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the male and female high school players of the year, is the most prestigious national award in high school basketball. Moore will be presented with the Naismith Trophy at the Naismith Awards Banquet on April 7 in Atlanta.

Moore was selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, a collection of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, based on her performance this season.

“Maya led her team to the state championship and a No. 3 national ranking – as a player she really is the complete package,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “We’re thrilled to award her this year’s Naismith Trophy and are confident she has a great career ahead of her.”

A 6-foot junior forward, Moore averaged 23.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 steals and 5.0 assists per game. The Eagles went 31-1 to win their fourth Class 5A state crown in six seasons.

Past Naismith Trophy winners have set a precedent for excellence at the collegiate level and include USC’s Lisa Leslie (1990), Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw (1995) and Candace Parker (2003 & 2004), UConn’s Diana Taurasi (2000) and Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2005).

Moore has also been named the 2006 “Miss Georgia Basketball” by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club has presented the Naismith Trophy since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969.

The Naismith Awards program has become an emblem of excellence for the game, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and overall contribution to the game.

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Contact: Matt Garvey, 404-586-8496 Atlanta Tipoff Club