Jonathan Irons

Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons’ story has all the makings of a modern fairytale: full of faith, friendship,

a fight for justice, and ultimately the triumph of love. 

Maya is a basketball icon - a two-time NCAA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time

WNBA champion, and WNBA MVP. Jonathan was just 18-years-old when he was wrongly convicted by

an all-white jury for a crime that occurred when he was 16. With no physical evidence tying him to the

crime, Jonathan was handed a 50-year prison sentence, of which he served 23 years. Their lives

juxtaposed, it might seem unlikely that their paths would cross.

Yet, it was right before her freshman year at UCONN that Maya was introduced to Jonathan by family

involved with prison ministry. She heard his story, and over the next decade, as Maya graduates from

UCONN and is drafted into the WNBA, Jonathan pours himself into earning first his GED, then develops a

deep understanding of law. The two forge a close friendship, grounded in their shared faith and

cultivated through their dedication to finding his freedom. Then, in 2019, at the peak of her career,

Maya shocked the world when she decided to step away from basketball to focus solely on Jonathan’s

case. 

After a winding, yearlong effort, Jonathan was finally released. The next day, Jonathan proposed to

Maya and weeks later, they were married. Together, they are dedicated to using their now shared

platform and social action nonprofit, Win With Justice to raise awareness and advocate for issues

surrounding criminal justice reform, the important role district attorneys play in the judicial system and

the power of each individual to live out their purpose and impact change. 

To learn more about Maya and Jonathan’s efforts, visit www.winwithjustice.org.