Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire career with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[1] Bird was drafted first overall pick by the Storm in the 2002 WNBA draft[2] and is considered one of the greatest players in WNBA history.[3] As of 2024, Bird is the only WNBA player to win titles in three different decades. She held a front office position for the NBA's Denver Nuggets as their Basketball Operations Associate. She has also played for three teams in the Russian league[4] and holds dual citizenship with both U.S. and Israel.[5]
In high school, Bird was the New York State Player of the Year, the New York Daily News Player of the Year, and a WBCA All-American. In her senior year on the undefeated University of Connecticut team in 2002, she won the Wade Trophy and the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year.[6][7] She finished her University of Connecticut (UConn) career ranked first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and second in assists and steals. She won the Nancy Lieberman Award three times as the top point guard in the nation.[8][7] Additionally, Bird led her UConn team to a record of 114–4.[9]
Bird has won a joint-record four WNBA championships with the Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020),[10] a historic five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020),[11] two NCAA Championships with UConn (2000, 2002); and four FIBA World Cups (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018). She is one of only 11 women to attain all four accolades. She is also a five-time EuroLeague Women champion (2007–2010, 2013).[12] During her WNBA career, she has been selected to thirteen WNBA All-Star teams and eight All-WNBA teams. Additionally, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011, was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20 as one of the league's top 20 players of all time in 2016, and was voted into The W25 as one of the league's top 25 players of all time in 2021. Her fifth Olympic gold medal, at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, makes her one of only two Olympic basketball players—of either gender—ever to win five gold medals,[13] with the other player being her US Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi.[11]
Bird publicly confirmed on June 16, 2022, that she would retire from playing professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season.[14] Her season ended on September 7, 2022, with the Storm's playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces.[15]
Early life
Bird was born in Syosset, New York, on Long Island, to Herschel and Nancy Bird.[16][12] She has one sibling, an older sister named Jen.[17] Her father's ancestry is Russian-Jewish.[18][19] In the 1900s, Bird's paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from what later became Ukraine. Upon her grandfather's arrival at Ellis Island in New York, their original last name was switched from "Boorda" to "Bird".[20][18][21][22][23] To avoid European rules, which state that European basketball teams can only have two Americans, Bird obtained Israeli citizenship due to her Jewish father and paternal grandparents.[18][20] However, she represents the United States, her birth country, in international competitions.[24]
Bird was interested in sports from an early age, partly influenced by her athletic older sister.[7] Besides basketball, she played soccer and tennis and ran track.[25] Her fifth-grade yearbook lists her potential future careers as a lawyer, doctor, and professional soccer player.[26][27] Bird started playing Amateur Athletic Union basketball in the sixth grade. At only 11 years old, she played during halftime of a St. John's basketball game; her play was so impressive that a security guard asked for her autograph.[17]
High school
Bird played her freshman and sophomore years at Syosset High School, but wanted more competition. Consequently, she enrolled at Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, New York.[28] Bird spent two seasons at Christ the King, where she competed on their Lady Royals basketball team.[29] The Royals record was 24–3 in her junior year. In the second season, her team finished undefeated and won the New York state championship, and the national title. Bird won many awards, including the New York State Player of the Year and the New York Daily News Player of the Year. She was named a WBCA All-American.[30] She participated in the Women's Basketball Coaches AssociationHigh School All-America Game, scoring 11 points.[31]
College career
Bird was recruited by several university teams, including UConn, Stanford, and Vanderbilt. She leaned towards selecting the UConn Huskies, but hesitated when two point guards announced their commitments to the team. After one of the point guards withdrew her commitment, Bird decided to accept UConn's offer.[32] In addition, she favored UConn because it was close to her home and had increased playing opportunities.[7] Eight games into her freshman season, Bird suffered a torn ACL. Since she had played more than 20% of the team's games in the 1998–1999 season, she was not able to redshirt.[25] In her sophomore season (1999–2000), she returned to lead the team to a 36–1 record, the Big East Championship, and the 2000 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. In her junior season (2000–2001), the Huskies went 32–3, with the final loss coming against UConn's Big East rival Notre Dame in the Final Four. However, the Huskies went 39–0 in her senior season (2001–2002), and, subsequently, Bird won the Wade Trophy, Honda Sports Award and Naismith Award as College Player of the Year.[6][33]
During her junior year, Bird played in a game against Notre Dame which sportswriter Jeff Goldberg referred to as "the best women's basketball game ever played".[34] Goldberg memorialized the game in his book Bird at the Buzzer, describing how Bird took the eponymous shot at the buzzer to win the game.[35]
She finished her UConn career on many of the record lists. As of 2005[update] she ranked No. 24 on the 1,000-point list with 1,378 points, No. 2 in assists with 585, and seventh with 243 steals.[17] She ranked number 1 in three-point field goal percentage (45.9) and free throw percentage (89.2).[17] She won two National Championships, three Big East Championships, and Big East regular season titles. Bird was the first winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award in 2000, given to the top point guard in the nation, and won it again in 2001 and 2002.[17] Her record at UConn in games she played is 114–4. Bird was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.[36]
The Seattle Storm selected Bird with the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA draft.[17] She would play alongside superstar Lauren Jackson who was also drafted first overall the year before. In her rookie season, Bird started all 32 games for the Storm and averaged 14.4 ppg. She was selected as a starter on the 2002 WNBA Western Conference All-Star team. Bird was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award and one of only two rookies to make the All-WNBA First Team.[17] Both Bird and Jackson led the Storm to their first playoff appearance. During her first year in the league, Bird scored a career-high 33 points in a regular-season game against the Portland Fire.[39] From 2002 (rookie season) to 2022 (retirement), she made a record 13 appearances playing in the Western Conference All-Star team.[7][2][1]
En route to the Storm's second championship, Bird had one of the most clutch moments in WNBA Playoff history; during the Conference Finals against the championship-defending Phoenix Mercury with the Storm up 1–0 in the series, Bird hit a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left in Game 2 to put the Storm up 91–88, after erasing a 19-point deficit to advance to the 2010 WNBA Finals.[44] Also in Game 1 of the 2010 WNBA Finals, Bird hit a game-winning jump shot with 2 seconds left to put the Storm up 79–77 and would later sweep the series.[45] In 2011, she was voted one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time by current players and coaches, the media, and fans on the WNBA website.[46][47]
During the 2012 WNBA season, Bird experienced knee problems, yet she managed to play 29 games throughout the regular season and the playoffs. In the off-season, Bird had knee surgery, which would prevent her from playing the entire 2013 season.[48]
Bird returned for the 2014 WNBA season.[49] That year, she played 33 games, averaged 10.6 ppg[50] and 4.0 apg,[51] and was voted as a WNBA all-star.[12] However, the Storm did not make it to the 2014 playoffs and would also fail to do so the following year.[52]
On February 16, 2016, Bird re-signed with the Storm to a multi-year deal in free agency.[53]
In the 2016 season, Bird would have a resurgence, putting up her best numbers since coming back from knee surgery. She averaged 12.8 ppg while shooting a career-high in 3-point field goal percentage and led the league in assists with 5.8 apg. For the fifth time in her career and the first time in 12 years, Bird was named to the All-WNBA First Team. Prior to the season, the Storm selected Breanna Stewart first overall in the 2016 WNBA draft, their second number one overall pick in a row after drafting Jewell Loyd the year before. With the addition of Stewart and Loyd quickly developing into a star player, the Storm made it back to the playoffs for the first time in 3 years with a 16–18 record. With the WNBA's new playoff format in effect, the Storm were the number 7 seed in the league and faced the Atlanta Dream in the first round, losing the single elimination game 94–85. Bird was also listed in the WNBA Top 20@20, a list of the league's best 20 players ever in celebration of the WNBA's twentieth anniversary.[54]
In April 2017, Bird underwent left knee surgery, which caused her to miss training camp.[55][56] However, she returned on May 21, 2017, following her recovery and made her season debut, making her both the oldest active player and starter in the WNBA.[57][58] She scored 9 points and 10 assists in an 81–71 victory over the Washington Mystics.[59] On June 11, 2017, Bird scored a season-high 21 points and 10 assists in a 94–86 loss to the New York Liberty.[60] She was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game, making it her 10th all-star game appearance (tying Tamika Catchings for most all-star game appearances). Bird had set the All-Star Game record for assists with a performance of 8 points and 11 assists for the Western Conference All-Stars team in a 130–121 victory.[61] On September 1, 2017, Bird became the WNBA all-time leader in assists with a career total of 2,600 assists, passing Ticha Penicheiro in a 110–106 overtime loss to the Washington Mystics.[62] She finished the game with 19 points and a season-high 13 assists. Bird would finish off the 2017 season, averaging a career-high in assists per game as the Storm finished 14–19[62] with the 8th seed in the league.[63] The Storm would lose 79–69 to the Phoenix Mercury in the first-round elimination game.[64]
On July 8, 2018, Bird scored a season-high 21 points in a 97–91 victory over the Washington Mystics. During that game, she became the Storm's all-time leading scorer, passing Lauren Jackson's 6,007 points.[65] On July 19, 2018, Bird was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, passing Tamika Catchings for most all-star appearances.[66][67] On July 22, 2018, Bird broke yet another record, this time for the most WNBA regular-season games played after she passed Delisha Milton-Jones by playing her 500th game against the Atlanta Dream.[68] By the end of the season, Bird finished with a career-high in assists, field goal shooting, and a new career-high in three-point shooting percentage as the Storm finished as the number 1 seed in the league with a 26–8 record, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the Storm defeated the Phoenix Mercury in a hard-fought five-game series. The Storm had a 2–0 lead, lost two in a row, and finished the series with a win in game 5 at home. Bird scored a season-high 22 points in game 5.[69][70] With that win, the Storm would advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2010.[71] They would sweep the Washington Mystics in the Finals, winning their first championship in 8 years.[72]
In August 2018, Sue Bird became vice president of the WNBA players union. During her term, Bird was a part of the leadership that navigated the WNBA during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020[73] and negotiated with the league on how to play the game safely with other teams. As the MNBA worked on the players' contracts, they were united in prioritizing activism and listed their use of social justice messages during games as a top "nonnegotiable". Consequently, Bird's presidency is credited with the WNBA allowing the players to express social justice messages, for example, on jerseys, basketball courts, and immediate floors.[74]
In May 2019, Bird needed arthroscopic surgery on her left knee and could not play in either of the Storm's preseason games.[75] She underwent surgery on May 30,[76] missing the remainder of the 2019 season as she recovered.[77] Another key player for the Storm, Breanna Stewart, also missed the 2019 season due to injuries. The Storm still secured a playoff berth, winning their Round 1 matchup of the playoffs without Bird and Stewart.[78] The team, however, was eliminated in the second-round elimination game by the Los Angeles Sparks.[79]
In 2020, Bird returned to play, limited to playing 11 games in the regular season.[80] Due to the pandemic, the season was delayed and shortened to 22 games, with all activities occurring at the IMG Academy[81] in the wubble, the contained Academy area.[82] She had reaggravated her knee during the season, causing her to miss five games.[83] With an active roster, the Storm finished 18–4 with the number 2 seed, receiving a double bye to the semi-finals.[84] In the semi-finals, they would sweep the Minnesota Lynx in three games, advancing back to the WNBA Finals for the second time in three years.[85] In the Finals, the Storm would win the championship after defeating the Las Vegas Aces in a three-game sweep, earning Bird her fourth WNBA championship, making her the first player in WNBA history to win a championship in three different decades.[80][84]
In 2021, Bird re-signed with the Storm on a one-year deal, which allowed her to play her 18th season in the league, moving her past Milton-Jones for most seasons played in the WNBA.[86][87] During a game against the Los Angeles Sparks in July 2021, Bird surpassed Katie Smith's 6452 career points on the WNBA career scoring list with her first three-pointer, ending the game with 6490 points.[88][89] She was honored in The W25 list, the WNBA's official list recognizing "the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history", selected to commemorate the league's 25th season (2021).[90]
On June 16, 2022, Bird announced that she would be retiring following the 2022 WNBA season.[91]
In the 2004–05 WNBA off-season, she played in Russia with Storm teammate Kamila Vodichkova on the Dynamo Moscow.[93] In the 2005–06 WNBA off-season, she played on the same team, reaching the Russian championship and the Euroleague women's playoffs.[94]
From 2011 to 2014, Bird played three off-seasons for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian League, adding three more consecutive championships in the Russian league.[51][9]
Bird has competed with USA Basketball as a member of the 2000 Jones Cup Team in Taipei, Taiwan. She started all four games, leading the team with 17 assists and helping them to the gold medal.[96]
In 2002, Bird was named to the national team which competed in the World Championships in Zhangjiagang, Changzhou, and Nanjing, China. The team was coached by Van Chancellor. Bird scored 4.3 points per game. The USA team won all nine games, including a close title game against Russia, which was a one-point game late in the game.[97]
In 2006, Bird was invited back to the National team for the World Championships held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in September 2006. With Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley retiring and Sheryl Swoopes sidelined by injuries, Bird, Candace Parker, and Diana Taurasi stepped up to leading roles on the national team. The USA team won eight of the nine games they played but fell against Russia 75–68 in the medal round; they ended up with the bronze medal. Over the nine games, Bird hit 50% of her three-point attempts, tying her for accuracy leadership with Taurasi and Swoopes. She also led the team with 41 assists.[100]
In the summer of 2008, Bird once again qualified for the Olympic basketball team, which won the 2008 gold medal in Beijing, China. Bird started all eight games and tied with teammate Tamika Catchings with 14 steals, both ranking seventh in the tournament's top 10 for steals.[101]
Bird was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp for the 2010 World Championship in the fall of 2009. Usually, players for the 2010 USA FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics teams are selected from the National Team. Following the training camp, the team was scheduled to play in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational in Ekaterinburg, Russia.[102][103]
On July 10, 2010, Bird competed with the National team in the WNBA-sponsored All-Star game, which pitted the USA National team against the "best-of-the-best" WNBA All-Stars.[104][105][106] In non-Olympic seasons, the WNBA normally holds the annual All-Star game between top players in the Eastern and Western Conferences.[107] University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma coached the National team in this game, training camp, and through 2012. Team USA won the exhibition game 99–72, with players like Bird,[104] who subsequently qualified for the USA team competing in the FIBA World Championships in the Czech Republic, held in September and October 2010.[108]
Because many team members were still playing in the WNBA until just before the World Cup,[105] the USA World team had only one day of practice with the entire 12-member squad before they opened play in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Even with limited practice, the team won its first game against Greece by 26 points. They continued to dominate with victory margins exceeding 20 points in the first five games. Several players shared scoring honors, with Swin Cash, Angel McCoughtry, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen, and Sylvia Fowles all ending as high scorers in the first few games. USA's sixth game was against undefeated Australia. They took a 24-point lead and ultimately prevailed with an 83–75 victory. Team USA won its next two games by over 30 points, then faced the host team, the Czech Republic, in the championship game. They had only a five-point lead at halftime, which was cut to three points, but the Czechs never got closer. Team USA went on to win the championship and gold medal. Bird averaged 5.6 points per game and led the team in assists with 26.[109]
Bird competed for the U.S. in the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Americans won their fifth straight gold medal.[110]
Bird competed for Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympics, helping the team win its sixth straight gold medal. In the gold medal game, they beat Spain 101–72. This was Bird's fourth Olympic title.[111][112]
In 2018, Bird once again qualified for Team USA during the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup held in Spain. USA defeated Australia 73–56 to win the gold medal. By winning the gold medal, Bird became the only player in history, male or female, to win four World Cup gold medals. Bird finished the final with five assists, bringing her career total to 107 assists in the FIBA World Cup—making her the leader for the U.S. with the most assists at the World Cup.[113]
On July 23, 2021, in the lead-up to her quest for her fifth gold medal, Bird carried the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Bird and baseball player Eddy Alvarez were selected by fellow athletes to be the flag bearers. Bird described the honor as "mind-blowing".[114] The Games were delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[115]
Personal life
Bird greets the ESPN broadcast team after a WNBA Playoffs game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream in 2024.
Bird publicly came out as a lesbian on July 20, 2017, revealing that she had been dating soccer player Megan Rapinoe for several months after the two met at the 2016 Rio Olympics.[116] In 2018, she and Rapinoe became the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue".[117] They announced their engagement on October 30, 2020.[118]
In 2020, Bird and Rapinoe were the first LGBTQ+ couple to co-host the ESPYs.[119] She was included in the 2022 Queer 50 list.[120]
In 2022, Bird became a part-owner of National Women's Soccer League franchise NJ/NY Gotham FC as a minority investor in the club. Along with her investment, Bird is required to be an advisor to the league, assisting to promote the club at all market levels—local, national, and international.[121][122] She also joined the ownership group of the Seattle Storm, Force 10 Hoops, in 2024.[123][124] On July 16th, 2024, Mattel announced a Sue Bird Barbie as part of their 65th anniversary of the Barbie doll.[125]
On August 26th, 2024 the city of Seattle renamed a street near Climate Pledge Arena to "Sue Bird Court"[130][131]
White House visits: Bird is one of the only athletes ever to have been invited to the White House for their championship performance as a collegiate player (University of Connecticut Huskies Women's Basketball), professional player (Seattle Storm), and as part of a championship team's ownership group (Gotham FC).[132] In total she has been invited to the White House six times and has received invitations from every sitting U.S. president since George H. W. Bush.[132]
↑ Grundy, Pamela (2007). Shattering The Glass: The Remarkable History Of Women's Basketball - The Remarkable History of Women's Basketball. The University of North Carolina Press. pp.43–66. ISBN978-0-8078-5829-5.
↑ "2017 Seattle Storm Season Recap". Seattle Storm. Retrieved July 25, 2024. While just squeaking in at the eighth seed wasn't what the team had in mind in May....
↑ "Seattle street named in honor of Sue Bird". KOMO. August 26, 2024. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024. One of the greatest stars in Seattle sports history has now been immortalized on the city's streets. The new "Sue Bird Court" is located on a portion of Second Avenue North between Denny Way and Lenny Wilkens Way, near Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell made the official proclamation and unveiled the new street sign Monday morning.
1 2 Bird, Rapinoe (September 25, 2024). A Touch More: The Road IS Good: Diana Taurasi’s next chapter, MVP News, Plus Wise Words From Uzo Aduba (Podcast). Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via YouTube.
Bibliography
Goldberg, Jeff (2011). Bird at the Buzzer: UConn, Notre Dame, and a Women's Basketball Classic. foreword by Doris Burke. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN9780803224117. OCLC660801685.
Porter, David L., ed. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press. ISBN9780313309526. OCLC57243370.
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