As is the case with many elite level athletes, they work tirelessly away from sport to make the world a better place.

Maya Moore's story is an astounding one — full of passion, dedication, and the ultimate sacrifice.

In 2019, at the peak of her basketball career, Moore announced she would be withdrawing from the sport she had dominated for years.

The Minnesota Lynx star stunned the world. The legendary Maya Moore, still in her prime, was sitting out of the upcoming WNBA season.

With four WNBA championships, a league MVP award, and six-time WNBA All-Star appearances, to name just a few of her achievements, what could make one of the most iconic players of all time want to take a step back while in the form of her life?

For Moore, it was a no-brainer. She was faced with a decision that for her, had only one outcome — play basketball, or help free an innocent man from a 50-year prison sentence.

Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons

In 1998, a 16-year-old Jonathan Irons was accused of burglary and the non-fatal shooting of a man named Stanley Stotler in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri.

Irons was arrested after Stotler identified him as the shooter. The teenager pleaded his innocence but the system failed him after the case stood in court — issues with identification were overlooked and a crucial fingerprint report eliminating Irons' DNA from the Stotler house was not submitted as evidence.

A police affidavit from an officer claiming Irons had confessed during a non-recorded interview with no witnesses also stood against the case.

Irons was served an adult conviction and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Moore was made aware of the case when she was 18 and she went on to strike up a friendship with Irons but did not talk publicly about it until 2016, when she started to advocate for change in the legal system.

Her dedication to reforming the system grew until Moore had become a leading voice in pushing for prosecutorial change.

Moore helped lead the Minnesota Lynx in one of the first athlete protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Fighting for justice

After years of spearheading the charge to see Irons freed from prison while still focusing on her basketball career, Moore decided to put all of her time and energy into her mission.

The court star pulled out of both the 2019 and 2020 WNBA seasons and also gave up the Tokyo Olympics in order to fight against injustice once and for all.

A phenomenal act of bravery and selflessness would eventually make headlines around the world.

On July 2nd 2020, Missouri judge Daniel Green vacated Irons' conviction, stating there were numerous problems with the 1998 case and described it as "very weak and circumstantial at best."

After 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Irons was released.

Just months later, Moore announced her marriage to Irons after the two fell in love during his time in prison.

The newlyweds appeared on Good Morning America to share the news and since finally being united, they have pledged their commitment to working together as activists to help others who have been wrongly treated by the justice system.

Moore halted her sporting career while at the pinnacle of stardom to help free an innocent man. She is still currently on sabbatical from basketball and has admitted she is unsure of when, or if, she will return to the court in the near future.

Whether Moore pulls on her jersey again or not will have no impact on the legacy she has built. Not only is she regarded as one of the best players of all time — and dubbed by Sports Illustrated as the greatest winner in the history of women's basketball — but she will be known around the world for her activism.

While Moore has blessed basketball fans with her performances on the court, she has also changed lives off it. Her story will be told, remembered and admired for years to come.