{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1998)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Maya Caldwell | image = Maya Caldwell 2024 (cropped).jpg | caption = Caldwell with the Atlanta Dream in 2024 | width = | number = 3 | team = Minnesota Lynx | league = WNBA | position = Guard | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lbs = 159 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|12|15}} | birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | high_school = Davidson Day School (Davidson, North Carolina) | college = * Georgia (2017–2021) | draft_league = WNBA | draft_year = 2021 | draft_round = 3 | draft_pick = 33 | draft_team = Indiana Fever | career_start = 2021 | years1 = 2021–2022 | team1 = Spar Gran Canaria | years2 = {{WNBA Year|2022}} | team2 = Atlanta Dream | years3 = 2022 | team3 = Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan | years4 = {{WNBA Year|2023}} | team4 = Indiana Fever | years5 = 2023 | team5 = Bogazici Basketbol Bursa | years6 = {{WNBA Year|2024}}–{{WNBA Year|2025}} | team6 = Atlanta Dream | years7 = 2024–2025 | team7 = Uni Girona CB | years8 = {{WNBA Year|2026}}–present | team8 = Minnesota Lynx | highlights = }} '''Maya Caldwell''' (born December 15, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Georgia.
==College career== Caldwell came out of high school as the 76th overall ranked recruit according to the ESPN HoopGurlz Rankings.<ref>{{cite web |title=2017 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings – espnW 100 |url=https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/_/class/2017 |website=ESPN.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> Caldwell committed to Georgia to play collegiately. She stated that part of the reason for choosing the Bulldogs program was that "Athens just felt like home...If I didn't have basketball, where would I want to be?' Athens was the place."<ref>{{cite web |title=FRESHMAN MAYA CALDWELL TRANSITIONS TO COLLEGE LIFE |url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2017/9/29/womens-basketball-freshman-maya-caldwell-transitions-to-college-life.aspx |website=georigadogs.com |publisher=Georgia Athletics |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>
Caldwell played in all 33 games as a freshman and led the team in 3-point field goal percentage. She scored a season high 20 points against Howard on December 19, 2017. With those 20 points, she became the first Bulldog player to score 20 points as a freshman since 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Georgia 87, Howard 47 |url=https://hubison.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2017-18/university-of-georgia/boxscore/5087 |website=hubison.com |publisher=Howard Athletics |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2017–18 Season (Freshman) |url=https://georgiadogs.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/maya-caldwell/4920 |website=georgiadogs.com |publisher=Georgia Athletics |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> During her sophomore season, Caldwell came off the bench again until the last 10 games of the season – when she became the team's starting forward. Once inserted into the starting lineup, Caldwell increased her scoring to 9.0 ppg from 3.4 ppg.
During her junior and senior seasons, Caldwell stayed in the starting lineup and became a solid, consistent player for Georgia. During her senior season, Caldwell scored a career high 27 points against Florida.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stati, Caldwell lift No. 17 Georgia past Gators 95–80 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2021/02/28/stati-caldwell-lift-no-17-georgia-past-gators-95-80/43446009/ |website=usatoday.com |publisher=USA Today |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> She was also named to the SEC All-Tournament Team in 2021.
==Professional career== ===WNBA=== ====Indiana Fever==== In the 2021 WNBA draft, Caldwell was taken 33rd overall by the Indiana Fever.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maya Caldwell Selected by Indiana Fever in WNBA Draft |url=https://georgiadogs.com/news/2021/4/15/womens-basketball-maya-caldwell-selected-by-indiana-fever-in-wnba-draft.aspx |website=georgiadogs.com |publisher=Georgia Athletics |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> Caldwell made it through a week of training camp before getting cut from the Fever.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Addison |first1=Nathan |title=Indiana Fever Waive Maya Caldwell & Trinity Baptiste Before WNBA Season |url=https://blacksportsonline.com/2021/05/indiana-fever-waive-maya-caldwell-trinity-baptiste-before-wnba-season/ |website=blacksportsonline.com |date=3 May 2021 |publisher=Black Sports Online |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>
====Atlanta Dream==== On February 23, 2022, Caldwell signed a training camp contract with the Atlanta Dream.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dream Sign Maya Caldwell to Training Camp Contract |url=https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-sign-maya-caldwell-to-training-camp-contract/ |website=dream.wnba.com |publisher=WNBA |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> On May 5, 2022, Caldwell was waived from the Dream training camp.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sudge |first1=Brandon |title=Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover spoke to me moments ago on the decision to waive Maya Caldwell: "This is a tough business. Maya had a tremendous training camp for us. I know it's not the last time we will see her in the WNBA. I look forward to seeing what..." (1/3) |url=https://twitter.com/brandonsudge/status/1522327539162787842 |website=twitter.com |publisher=Twitter |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> On June 20, 2022, Caldwell was brought back to the Dream on a hardship contract.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dream Sign Maya Caldwell |url=https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-sign-maya-caldwell/ |website=dream.wnba.com |publisher=WNBA |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> After appearing in 3 games for the Dream, Caldwell was released from her Hardship Contract on June 27, 2022. The Dream re-signed Caldwell on June 26, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dream.wnba.com/news/atlanta-dream-sign-guard-maya-caldwell/|title=Atlanta Dream Sign Guard Maya Caldwell|website=dream.wnba.com|publisher=WNBA|date=June 26, 2024|access-date=June 26, 2024}}</ref>
====Portland Fire==== On April 3, 2026, she was drafted ninth overall by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/wnba-expansion-draft-results-fire-tempo-rosters/ |title=WNBA expansion draft results: Toronto Tempo, Portland Fire select initial rosters ahead of 2026 season |website=CBS Sports |first=Jack |last=Maloney |date=April 3, 2026 |access-date=April 3, 2026}}</ref>
====Minnesota Lynx==== On May 6, 2026, she was traded from the Portland Fire to the Minnesota Lynx, in exchange for their 2028 third round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lynx.wnba.com/news/minnesota-lynx-acquire-guard-maya-caldwell |title=Minnesota Lynx Acquire Guard Maya Caldwell |website=Lynx WNBA |date=May 6, 2026 |access-date=May 6, 2026}}</ref>
===Overseas=== ====Gran Canaria==== Caldwell played the 2021–2022 season in Spain for Spar Gran Canaria. She averaged 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 26 games for them.<ref>{{cite web |title=MAYA CALDWELL basketball profile |url=https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Maya-Caldwell/Spain/Spar-Gran-Canaria/450194?Women=1 |website=basketball.eurobasket.com |publisher=EuroBasket |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{WNBA player statistics legend}} ===WNBA=== ====Regular season==== ''Stats current through end of 2025 season'' {{WNBA player statistics start|caption=WNBA regular season statistics<ref>{{cite web |title=Maya Caldwell WNBA Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/c/caldwma01w.html |website=Basketball Reference}}</ref>}} |- class="sortbottom" | align="left" |''2021'' | align="center" colspan=13| ''Did not play (waived)'' |- | align="left" | 2022 | align="left" | Atlanta | 9 || 7 || '''23.8''' || '''.514''' || '''.563''' || .800 || 2.4 || 2.2 || 0.8 || '''0.2''' || 1.6 || '''10.9''' |- | align="left" | 2023 | align="left" | Indiana | 30 || 1 || 10.1 || .292 || .138 || '''.857''' || 0.9 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.1 || '''0.7''' || 1.9 |- | align="left" | 2024 | align="left" | Atlanta |25||6||16.2||.416||.300||.800||1.8||1.1||0.6||'''0.2'''||0.9||5.2 |- | align="left" | 2025 | align="left" | Atlanta | '''41''' || '''16''' || 18.5 || .426 || .355 || .800 || '''3.1''' || '''1.8''' || '''0.9''' || '''0.2''' || 1.0 || 5.4 |- class="sortbottom" | align="left" | '''Career''' | align="left" | 4 years, 2 teams | 105 || 30 || 16.0 || .416 || .344 || .815 || 2.1 || 1.3 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 0.9 || 4.8 {{S-end}}
====Playoffs==== {{WNBA player statistics start|caption=WNBA playoff statistics}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2024 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta |2||0||9.0||.250||.000||.000||1.5||1.0||1.0||0.5||0.0||1.0 |- | align="left" | 2025 | align="left" | Atlanta | 3 || 0 || 13.3 || .429 || .333 || .000 || 2.0 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 1.3 || 2.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| '''Career''' | style="text-align:left;"| 2 years, 2 teams | 5 || 0 || 11.6 || .364 || .200 || .000 || 1.8 || 0.8 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 0.8 || 1.8 {{S-end}}
===College=== {| class="wikitable"; style="text-align:center"; |+ NCAA statistics<ref>{{cite web |title=Maya Caldwell Statistics |url=https://herhoopstats.com/stats/ncaa/player/maya-caldwell-stats-11e8e153-2809-13e2-b147-12df17ae4e1e/ |website=herhoopstats.com |publisher=Her Hoop Stats |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> !Year !Team !GP !Points !FG% !3P% !FT% !RPG !APG !SPG !BPG !PPG |- |2017–18 |Georgia |33 |142 |.417 |.404 |.600 |2.1 |0.6 |0.3 |0.1 |4.2 |- |2018–19 |Georgia |30 |161 |.429 |.216 |.520 |3.0 |1.1 |0.9 |0.3 |5.4 |- |2019–20 |Georgia |31 |303 |.414 |.269 |.792 |3.7 |2.2 |1.4 |0.2 |9.8 |- |2020–21 |Georgia |28 |232 |.401 |.309 |.787 |3.6 |1.9 |0.9 |0.3 |8.3 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Basketball stats}} *[https://georgiadogs.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/maya-caldwell/4920 Georgia Bulldogs bio]
{{Minnesota Lynx current roster}} {{2021 WNBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, Maya}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:American women's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:Guards (basketball) Category:Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball players Category:Indiana Fever draft picks Category:Indiana Fever players Category:Atlanta Dream players Category:21st-century American sportswomen