Maya Moore: Will She Become the Most Famous Female Basketball Player Ever?

Let's be realistic. Women's basketball does not receive close to the amount of coverage that men's basketball does.

The UConn Huskies' 89-game winning streak has received the most media coverage out of any team, college or professional, in the history of female team sports.

Geno Auriemma and Maya Moore have become the second and third names of people who are actually recognized in the world of women's college basketball after Pat Summitt.

While many would argue that the streak itself will never be as impressive as that of the UCLA men's team, the sheer difficulty of winning that many games in a row deserves respect and recognition.

It is a difficult comparison to draw. Men's and women's basketball, despite the same rules, are completely different games. On the other hand, what the UConn Huskies team has accomplished should be recognized not only as a feat in women's college basketball, but also as an accomplishment in the entire sports world.

On Tuesday, Maya Moore scored 41 points to send the Huskies to their 89th straight victory, surpassing the mark set by the UCLA men's team. While she may not have been the best player on UConn throughout the streak, Moore will forever be connected with the streak as the reason for it.

For that reason, Moore will become the most famous female basketball player to ever play the game.

Certainly, it is too early to recognize Moore as the most accomplished player or the most talented player to ever play the game. Perhaps Moore will never achieve the greatness at the professional level of previous stars Lisa Leslie or even UConn grads Tina Charles and Diana Taurasi.

However, the UConn streak is the biggest event to ever hit female basketball and maybe even women's team sports. With Moore forever connected to the streak, she has achieved recognition in the mainstream world of sports that no other female basketball player has ever reached.

Most likely, this will be the peak of her fame. In reality, relatively few people watch the WNBA, and media coverage of women's professional basketball can be called sparse at best. For now, though, Moore can enjoy being the most famous female athlete of the year and perhaps the most recognized women's basketball player ever.