 Bird at SXSW 2024 | |
| Seattle Storm | |
|---|---|
| Position | Assistant Coach |
| League | WNBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 16, 1980 Syosset, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American, Israeli |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Listed weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | UConn (1998–2002) |
| WNBA draft | 2002: 1st round, 1st overall pick |
| Selected by the Seattle Storm | |
| Playing career | 2002–2022 |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Number | 10 |
| Coaching career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2022 | Seattle Storm |
| 2004–2006 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 2006–2011 | Spartak Moscow Region |
| 2011–2014 | UMMC Ekaterinburg |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career WNBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,803 (11.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,466 (2.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,234 (5.6 apg) |
| Stats at WNBA.com | |
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 by the Storm first overall in the 2002 WNBA draft and is considered to be one of the greatest players in WNBA history. As of 2021, 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 Russia league; and also has dual citizenship, with both U.S. and Israel.[2]
In high school, she 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.[3] She finished her UConn career ranked first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, second in assists and steals, and as a three-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation, while leading her team to a record of 114–4.[citation needed]
Bird has won a joint-record four WNBA championships with the Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020),[4] a historic five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020),[5] 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).[6] 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,[7] with the other player being her US Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi.[5]
Bird publicly confirmed on June 16, 2022 that she would retire from playing professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season.[8] Her season ended on September 7, 2022 with the Storm's playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces.[9]
- ^ "Sue Bird". Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Sue Bird First Israeli To Win Gold". The Forward. August 11, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Wade Trophywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "4X WNBA Champion, Sue Bird, Is Headed Back To Seattle". Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ a b "The Olympic history of UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi". Connecticut Post. August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
usabwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sue Bird". TeamUSA.org. United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.