Maya Moore Married Jonathan Irons, the Man She Helped Free From Prison

The past decade of the WNBA belonged to Maya Moore. She racked up every possible accolade after winning two NCAA championships at UConn and going first overall in the 2011 draft. But when it's all said and done, any basketball accomplishments might be the second-most impressive part of her resume.

In 2019, Moore announced she was taking a sabbatical from her professional sports life to help reform the justice system in America. She was inspired by a Black man named Jonathan Irons, who had been serving a 50-year sentence for burglary and assaulting a homeowner with a gun. He was 16-years-old when he was convicted, and there was very little evidence to support the case, but Irons was tried as an adult and found guilty. Moore first met Irons in 2007 and took off both the 2019 and 2020 seasons to support him in his attempts to overturn what he, Moore, and many others believed to be a wrongful conviction.

They were successful in that endeavor, and in July of this year, Irons was released. Moore was there to greet him, and there was much rejoicing.

Moore and Irons appeared on Good Morning America on Wednesday to discuss their "Get Out the Vote" campaign. Before they got to that, though, they unveiled quite a surprise: the two had gotten married in the months since Iron's release. A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn't have dreamed of a more movie-like storyline.

A heartwarming tale hidden in these difficult times. There was no previous mention of any romantic relationship in previous reports about Moore's work with Irons, so not only is it a story tailored for the big screen, it's an Oscar-worthy twist in a real-life story.

One year ago, Irons was still in prison, battling for his freedom. Now he is not only free, but married to the woman who dedicated her time to helping him find justice. Hard not to root for that guy. Cling to this story with all your heart, because we might never see one like it unfold in real-time like this again.