Sister Act

USC women's basketball tips off the 2018-19 season tonight with a game against UC Riverside at USC's Galen Center.

It's a new year with new faces for the Women of Troy, but for junior point guard Minyon Moore, this season brings back an incredibly familiar face.

Minyon's older sister, Mariya, transferred to USC from Louisville in 2017 and redshirted during the 2017-18 season. Tonight, the Moore sisters will step out on the same court for the first time since their days in high school.

"I have always had the dream to play together," said Minyon, who's two years younger than Mariya. "In high school, we had the opportunity for two years but then I got injured, so it got cut short. My dream has always been to be the 'Moore Sisters.' It's crazy that the world works the way it does, because she's here with me now."

Minyon and Mariya grew up in Hercules, Calif. and learned the game from their father, Errol, who put them through drills and workouts together. Mariya was recruited by USC out of Salesian HS, but opted instead to move across the country to play at Louisville. Mariya made the All-ACC Freshman team in 2015, first team in 2016 and second team in 2017. In three seasons, the shooting guard climbed into Louisville's all-time Top 10 in a number of categories, including assists, three-pointers and free throws made.

But despite all her success, Mariya felt she needed to make a change.

"When you feel like your time is up somewhere, it's just time to go," she said. "Regardless of what happened, I thought my time was up and it was even better that I got the opportunity to come home. All the things that I liked about USC were still there: the great education, the people, the area that it's in, so many connections. We have family here and, of course, Minyon goes here."

Mariya, who Minyon describes as the "more mellow" of the two of sisters, arrived at USC in September of 2017 and spent a year acclimating to the change and learning the system at USC. Now, she's ready to put her talents on display alongside her sister in Los Angeles.

Minyon, who Mariya dubbed the "diva" of the family, is excited to show off the sisters' chemistry on the court.

"Since we've grown up together, we have each other's tendencies down," said Minyon. "She doesn't have to tell me to cut, I just know. The chemistry is great, and I'm really excited for it to translate onto the court this year."

When the Women of Troy tip off at 5 p.m. tonight, the Moore sisters will have a huge contingent of family members in the arena cheering them on, including all four grandparents who traveled down from Northern California, and Minyon predicts they'll witness a victory.

"When there's two people that are as competitive as us towards an opponent, it's hard to beat them," Minyon said. "It's going to be legendary."

Players Mentioned

Minyon Moore

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University Southern California Trojans

Sister Act

Players Mentioned

Minyon Moore

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