A trailblazer on the basketball court, Jessica Moore of Palmer achieved unprecedented success for an Alaskan in college and the WNBA.

Moore was a sensational athlete at Colony High School, where she led both the basketball and volleyball teams to multiple state championships and was a two-time basketball Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year and Parade All-American. She also won the triple jump state championship in track.

The 1990 Alaska Prep Athlete of the Year signed with national powerhouse Connecticut and won three NCAA Tournament championships from 2002 to 2004 as the team won 78 consecutive games.

During her third championship game with the Huskies, Moore suffered a torn ACL. She remained in the game finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds despite the injury that would require surgery.

At University of Connecticut, Moore played 145 games – the most appearances all-time for a Division I player from Alaska – and amassed 1,233 points, 834 rebounds and 125 blocked shots for her career.

In the WNBA, Moore played nine seasons and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2006 and 2008 with the Los Angeles Sparks, and the 2009 WNBA Finals with the Indiana Fever.

She ranks second among Alaskans in the WNBA with 644 points and 450 rebounds in 222 games. Her 26 playoff appearances are No. 1 in state history by a mile.

Later, she became the first Alaskan to play in the famed EuroLeague and posted a career-high of 35 points, the most scoreed by an Alaska woman at the pro level.

— Van Williams