| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-03-16)March 16, 1957 (age 68) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wilson (Florence, South Carolina) |
| College | Anderson Junior College (1975) Francis Marion (1975-1979) |
| WBL draft | 1979: 1st round, 11th overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Stars |
| Position | Point guard |
| Career history | |
| 1979-1980 | New York Stars |
| 1980-1981 | St. Louis Streak |
| Career highlights | |
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Pearl Moore (born March 16, 1957) is an American formerbasketball player. During her collegiate career atFrancis Marion University, Moore established herself as one of the most prolific scorers in college history, male or female, and is the all-time career-scoring leader in women's college basketball.[1] She later played professionally in theWomen's Professional Basketball League with theNew York Stars and the St. Louis Streak.
Born inFlorence, South Carolina, Moore began playing basketball while attendingWilson High School where she was in the starting line-up for all four years, and achieved early success, earning the MVP award at the 1975 and 1976AAU Junior Olympic Games.[2]
Moore, who commenced her collegiate career withAnderson Junior College for one semester (where she amassed 177points in eight games), transferred toFrancis Marion University, and, because ofAIAW rules, she was immediately eligible to play the remainder of the 1975–76 season for the campus's team,the Patriots.[3] Patriots head coachSylvia Hatchell reflected on Moore's unique ability to score: "She was outside, inside, she could handle the ball, draw fouls. I saw her wait for the defense to catch up with her so she could draw the foul and make a 3-point play. She was ahead of her time".[4]
During her junior year, Moore posted a then single-game record 60 points in a victory overEastern Washington State College in the 1978 AIAW Small College National Tournament.[5] On March 10, 1979, in her final collegiate game, Moore scored 42 points against theUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga to finish her collegiate career at Francis Marion with 3,884 points, which was the all-time women’s collegiate scoring record (as set forth in the AIAW record book maintained by the NCAA) until beaten by Caitlin Clark during the 2023-24 season. Clark finished with 3,951 points. Overall, Moore averaged 30.6 points per game during her time at Francis Marion, an era where thethree-point arc was not incorporated into women's basketball. Moore also helped lead the Patriots to three national championship appearances. Throughout her career with Francis Marion, Moore always scored in double figures, and posted fewer than 20 points in only 18 of her total 128 games, which both testify to her dominance offensively.[2][5] With the AIAW having dissolved in 1982, it remains the most points scored by any AIAW basketball player,[6]
Moore is sometimes credited with scoring 4,061 points in college, but that includes 177 points scored during her single semester at Anderson Junior College. Because junior college statistics are not included in either NCAA or AIAW scoring records, Moore’s AIAW collegiate scoring total is recognized as 3,884. That is the AIAW scoring record, ahead of Lynette Woodard’s AIAW total of 3,649. The current record for points scored against four-year schools is 3,961, byGrace Beyer ofNAIA memberUHSP from 2019 to 2024.[a] Beyer finished her college career 10 points ahead of Clark.
Moore graduated from Francis Marion in 1979 with aBachelor of Science degree insociology. She was subsequently selected in the first round by theNew York Stars in theWomen's Professional Basketball League draft. In her first professional season, the Stars concluded their regular schedule with the highest winning-percentage in the league. Despite a 36-point game from "Machine Gun"Molly Bolin of theIowa Cornets, the Stars won the championship series behind a 27-point effort by Moore.[2][7] She played another season, joining the St. Louis Streak, and participated in the1981 WBL All-Star Game. When the WBL folded, Moore played the final season of her professional career in Venezuela.[8]
Following her pro career, Moore coached high-school teams. She has received recognition for her accomplishments in women's basketball with her induction into the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 and theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.Michael Hawkins, who nominated Moore for the latter honor, called her one of college basketball's most prolific scorers and the best player Francis Marion ever produced.[2] Moore currently hosts her own girls' basketball camp.[9]
In May 2021, Moore was selected to be inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in its 2021 class.[10]