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Sue Bird

This article is about the basketball player. For the acoustic engineer, see Sue Bird (engineer).

Sue Bird
Bird at SXSW 2024
Seattle Storm
PositionPart owner, Seattle Storm
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1980-10-16) October 16, 1980 (age 43)
Syosset, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican, Israeli
Listed height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Listed weight150 lb (68 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeUConn (1998–2002)
WNBA draft2002: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Seattle Storm
Playing career2002–2022
PositionPoint guard
Number10
Career history
2002–2022Seattle Storm
2004–2006Dynamo Moscow
2006–2011Spartak Moscow Region
2011–2014UMMC Ekaterinburg
Career highlights and awards
Career WNBA statistics
Points6,803 (11.7 ppg)
Rebounds1,466 (2.5 rpg)
Assists3,234 (5.6 apg)
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2002 China
Gold medal – first place 2010 Czech Republic
Gold medal – first place 2014 Turkey
Gold medal – first place 2018 Spain
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Brazil

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, second in assists and steals, and 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]

  1. ^ "Sue Bird". Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Sue Bird's final act: The evolution of an all-time WNBA legend". ESPN.com. September 7, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Measuring greatness: A look back at Sue Bird's 17-year career with the Storm". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Lee, Albert (April 14, 2015). "Video: Sue Bird reflects on her high school, college, and WNBA career". Swish Appeal. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  5. ^ "Sue Bird First Israeli To Win Gold". The Forward. August 11, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wade Trophy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference uconnhooplegends.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Mickles, Stacey (January 30, 2024). "The 10 best UConn Huskies women's basketball players of all time". The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  9. ^ "Sue Bird turns 40: The evolution and revolution of Seattle's point guard". ESPN.com. October 16, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "4X WNBA Champion, Sue Bird, Is Headed Back To Seattle". Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "The Olympic history of UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi". Connecticut Post. August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference usab was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Sue Bird". TeamUSA.org. United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  14. ^ Stone, Larry (June 16, 2022). "Sue Bird gets to retire on her terms. But the void she'll leave will be substantial". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  15. ^ Lowe, Shauntel (September 7, 2022). "Sue Bird Sheds 'Happy Tears' as She Ends W.N.B.A. Career". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 8, 2022.

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