Moriah Jefferson Bio: Net Worth, Salary, and Professional Career

Moriah Jefferson is one of the most consistent performers in the WNBA. She has improved her performance year by year. Her entry in the WNBA happened when she was drafted by the San Antonio Stars as the second overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She was born and brought up in Dallas, Texas, and grew up with her parents, Lorenza and Robin Jefferson.

Currently, she is playing with the Chicago Sky in her 8th season in the WNBA. Targeting her first championship ring in the WNBA. With her contracts with different teams throughout her career and she has proved herself as a key player for each team.

Moriah Jefferson's Early Life

Moriah Jefferson's basketball journey began at a young age, starting with her home church's "Turnaround League" before she moved on to play for the Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA). Her early talent was evident as she began playing basketball in eighth standard and often played against boys, which she mentioned has helped her develop a more physical style of play. A significant challenge she faced was a temporary loss of confidence after transitioning from being a high school star to playing at UConn with numerous other All-Americans, which made her question her role and her love for the game.

Even as an eighth grader, Moriah was known among scouts from major NCAA women’s basketball programs as an early sign of her imminent stardom, later matched by fellow UConn guard Kia Nurse. Moriah was heavily influenced by her parents, who encouraged her to play with her left hand and instilled a strong work ethic. A key mentor was her late AAU coach, Marques "Mudd" Jackson, who taught her to play with a fearless style, a legacy she wants to continue by mentoring young players in her community.

Moriah Jefferson Personal Information

Born on March 8, 1994, in Dallas, Texas, she made a name for herself as a homeschooled athlete, leading her high school team to multiple championships and earning national recognition. She completed her college from the University of Connecticut (UConn), where she became a basketball legend, making many records and winning awards and titles.

Drafted second overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft, she's since brought her quickness and defensive skill to multiple teams, including the San Antonio Stars/Las Vegas Aces, Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx, and currently the Chicago Sky. Today, we will discuss Moriah Jefferson's Net Worth, personal life, career trajectory, and more.

Moriah Jefferson's Personal Life

Away from the basketball court, Moriah has a big passion for business and giving back to her community. After recovering from her injuries, she went and got a degree in business communications to learn how to grab good brands and endorsement deals by using her image productively and prepare for life after basketball. In fact, she's got some plans for the future as she wants to get into sports broadcasting and even launch her own luxury streetwear clothing brand. Plus, she’s already doing work for her community by running a basketball camp called "Sunday School" for kids in the Dallas area, where she teaches them about both basketball and life. From her social work and thoughts about life, we can say that Moriah is a well-rounded person, on and off the court.

Moriah Jefferson Parents

Moriah Jefferson parents, Lorenza and Robin Jefferson, contributed in making Moriah one of the finest players in the WNBA today. As a homeschooled athlete, Moriah had the unique opportunity for a flexible schedule that allowed her to dedicate several hours a day to basketball training. Her parents, especially her father, have mentored her by making her practice with her left hand from an early age, which she has often mentioned during her interviews. We can say that beyond skill development, Lorenza and Robin also taught her strong work ethics and a deep sense of discipline. They supported her unconventional path, including playing on a boys' team with her brothers, which helped her develop a tough, "fearless" style of play. Her parents also supported her when she was doubting herself during her college career.

Moriah Jefferson Girlfriend

Based on publicly available information and news reports, there are no details about Moriah Jefferson girlfriend, a public relationship, or a spouse. Her personal life, especially her romantic relationships, is kept private. As we have gone through her social media posts, where she shares about her basketball career, her business ventures, and her community work, particularly her "Sunday School" basketball camps. From our research, it can be said that Moriah has a partner and keeps the relationship private or she is currently single and wants to focus on her career and family.

Moriah Jefferson Contract

Moriah Jefferson has gone through several contract agreements throughout her WNBA career, and we often see her journey through injuries and trades. After being drafted 2nd overall in 2016 by the San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces), she signed her initial rookie-scale contract. Her most recent major deal was a three-year, $424,500 contract signed with the Phoenix Mercury in 2023. This contract is fully guaranteed and covers the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, with an average annual salary of about $141,500.

Since signing that deal, she has been traded twice. In February 2024, she was traded from Phoenix to the Connecticut Sun. Then, in July 2024, she was traded again, this time to the Chicago Sky, where she is currently playing. As per Spotrac, Moriah Jefferson Contract details, we have presented the breakdown of all her contracts in the table below:

Moriah Jefferson's Salary

As per her recent contract with her team, Moriah Jefferson Salary is $145,500 for the 2025 season with the Chicago Sky. After navigating several seasons, including some impacted by injuries, Jefferson signed a notable three-year, $424,500 contract with the Phoenix Mercury in 2023. This deal was fully guaranteed, providing her with stability. It pays an average annual salary of about $141,500.

Since signing that contract, she's been traded twice; first to the Connecticut Sun in early 2024, and then to the Chicago Sky in July 2024. Despite the trades, she remains on that same guaranteed contract. Her total career earnings, through the end of this current deal in 2025, are projected to be just under $1 million.

Moriah Jefferson Net Worth

Moriah Jefferson's Net Worth is estimated to be more than $2.5 million. This figure primarily reflects her WNBA salaries since being drafted in 2016. While this provides a strong foundation, it includes potential income from endorsements, overseas play during the WNBA off-season (she has played in Turkey), and any personal investments or business ventures she might have. Her net worth is estimated to grow higher after the 2025 season, though a precise figure is not publicly available.

Moriah Jefferson Career

Moriah Jefferson has built a strong basketball career marked by incredible success at every level, from her high school journey to her professional career in the WNBA. She has always proved herself with her game skill, points, and rebounds that how important she is for the team, despite her several injuries throughout her career. Jefferson began her WNBA journey with the San Antonio Stars, where she quickly became a starter, sharing leadership roles with teammates who later represented the Las Vegas Aces.

Moriah Jefferson High School Career

Moriah Jefferson attended Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA), a homeschool organization, where she played for the THESA Riders. As mentioned earlier, during her school time she had played basketball with boys to develop her game and achieved a physical and fearless style of play. Her homeschooling has helped her focus more on basketball from an early age. She has won numerous awards and titles during her school career, some of which include five NCHBC Texas Region titles and being selected to the 2012 WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team. In the table below, we have presented the high school Moriah Jefferson stats in total:

Moriah Jefferson College Career

Moriah Jefferson College is the University of Connecticut (UConn), one of the most dominant programs in women's college basketball history. She quickly became one of the key players for the team, helping the team as a point guard. She had achieved many awards and accolades, some of which include being a Four-time NCAA National Champion, a Two-time WBCA All-American, a Two-time AP All-American, and NCAA All-Tournament Team. In the table below, we have presented the College Moriah Jefferson stats:

Moriah Jefferson Professional Career

Moriah Jefferson entered the WNBA as the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Stars. Expectations were high for the dynamic point guard from UConn. Her professional career has been marked by brilliant flashes of her skill; unfortunately she suffered some periods impacted by injuries, particularly to her knee. She played for the San Antonio Stars (who later became the Las Vegas Aces) until she was traded to the Dallas Wings prior to the 2019 season. Injuries limited her significantly in 2019 and early 2022, leading to her being waived by Dallas in May 2022.

She became a key starter for the Minnesota Lynx in 2022, and with her performance she was later signed with the Phoenix Mercury in 2023. However, her journey continued with more transitions: in February 2024, she was traded from the Mercury to the Connecticut Sun, and then in July 2024, she was traded again to the Chicago Sky, where she currently plays. As per ESPN player stats, we have provided her career stats in the table below:

Moriah Jefferson Awards and Achievements

Moriah Jefferson as a point guard has achieved many awards and achievements from her school career to her WNBA career. Her high school career saw her lead the THESA Riders to multiple National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships and earn recognition like the WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team in 2012. She is only the second UConn player to reach both 600+ assists and 300+ steals, placing her among school legends such as Breanna Stewart.

As a UConn Husky, Jefferson won four consecutive NCAA titles, sharing championship teams with Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck, both future WNBA players. In the WNBA, drafted 2nd overall in 2016, she was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Despite facing injury setbacks, her ability to perform at a high level and her significant contributions to winning team awards and individual awards. In the table below we can see some of her awards and achievements: