It has been a whirlwind past couple of weeks for Maya Moore. The consensus top player in women's college basketball saw her Connecticut career end abruptly with an NCAA semifinal loss to Notre Dame. Days later, a new chapter in her career started when she was chosen No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft -- as expected -- by the Lynx. Moore hopes to bring not only her talent but a winning mentality to a squad that has struggled regularly. First, though, she caught up with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand as she prepared for a rare relaxing weekend back in Connecticut. Q You've been through a lot in the past couple of weeks. Have you had time to take it all in and reflect on it?

A No, not really. I just got back to Connecticut [Thursday] and I'm kind of recovering. I'm just hoping to get some rest this weekend and hopefully have a chance to think about some of the cool things that are going on. ... It's a little different being back [at UConn] knowing I'm not a UConn athlete anymore. I don't have any required workouts or anything. I'm a student and a professional at the same time. I'm working on packing up my life and finishing everything here.

Q The Lynx haven't been overly successful in recent seasons. You're used to winning almost all the time. Can you bring a winning mentality above and beyond just the skills you bring to the court to change that?

A Yeah, I do. First of all, I think the team is healthy and that's a good start. They have a lot a talent. The main thing I can do is just be myself, stay competitive and hopefully spread it around and help encourage a competitive environment. But it makes me feel good to know we have a lot of talent. I mean, we're not a bunch of scrubs [laughs].

Q Given how competitive you are, were you able to watch the NCAA championship game after you lost in the semifinals?

A I didn't watch. I kept up a little bit with the score at the end with who would win, but I didn't watch the game. I didn't want to.

Q Not to take you back to the semifinal, but has the pace of your life since then been maybe a good thing that has helped you not have to think about it as much -- or were you going to think about it regardless?

A I mean, it's still fresh. Our team didn't end the season playing our best, and you know down inside that we didn't give ourselves a chance to leave everything out there, and that's what hurts the most. But the fact that I kind of had to snap out of it pretty quickly to make sure I didn't miss the moment and the hard work that has brought me to this place -- I think that did help a little to have to rush into this next phase. But I will use [the loss] to motivate me for this season with Minnesota.

Q Basketball is a huge part of your life, but what is Maya Moore like off the court -- what do you do to relax when you don't want to deal with basketball?

A I'm pretty into music. Anything with music I love. ... I'm really big on lyrical content plus a good beat. I play the drums, I love to sing. I'll make a beat anywhere -- on the wall, on the floor -- and I can have fun doing just about anything. It doesn't take much. I'm pretty chill when I'm not on the court. And I do love to read as well -- books about my faith, basketball, real-life stories.

Q Where did the drumming come from?

A Just a hobby growing up, really. I had a cousin who was a music producer and he played the drums, and he had a set in his basement. We were visiting in Atlanta, and I was messing around. I decided I wanted to buy my own drum set. When I was a kid, I was big into saving up my money ... I washed cars in the neighborhood, and my mom helped me. I was about 10, and I have the same set with me now. Just learned by ear, listening to music. Then somebody found out about it, and they did an ESPN special about it [laughs]. I don't think I have any secrets anymore.