Basketball star Maya Moore dropped to her knees outside a prison as the man she fought to release, walked free after 20 years inside.

Moore put her WNBA career with the Minnesota Lynx on hold in 2019 to dedicate her time to fight for Jonathan Irons, whom she first met in 2007 while doing prison ministry. 

He was sentenced to 50 years at the age of 18 in 1998 for burglary and assault.

A Missouri judge, Daniel Green, looked at the case against Irons in March, describing it as 'very weak and circumstantial at best’.

This led to several appeals being filed. Two of them failed but Irons was freed this week after St Charles County lead prosecutor Tim Lohmar declined to retry the case, said The New York Times.

Moore was among those waiting for Iron at the time he was released. She uploaded a video to Instagram where she can be seen falling to her knees with emotion as he walks free.

Irons said hewas thankful to Moore and her family for the work they have done.

He said: “I feel like I can live life now. I’m free, I’m blessed. I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence. 

"I thank everybody who supported me — Maya and her family and just to be home, to have somewhere to be home.”

When Moore announced she would not play in the 2019 season she did not specifically mention Irons.

She said at the time: "[I’ll be taking] time in some ministry dreams that have been stirring in my heart for many years."

She also recently said she wouldn’t be playing the 2020 season either due to the coronavirus pandemic.