WNBA legend Sue Bird announces current season will be her last
Sue Bird, a Seattle Storm star and five time Olympic gold medallist, announced Thursday that she will not be playing in the WNBA in 2022.
Bird, 41, made the announcement. She had already acknowledged in February, when she signed with Seattle, that this would likely be Bird’s last season. She had considered retiring after last season but decided to return to the game for a 19th season.
Bird’s announcement came just days before Seattle’s match at Connecticut. The Storm will end their road trip in New York on Sunday, approximately 30 miles from Syosset, N.Y., where Bird grew.
“As the seasons have gone, like I saidI knew it. Once I saw the schedule, and then started packing for this trip, I realized that this was going to be my last time in New York. My last time playing in front my family and friends. Bird saidIn a Storm video posted to social media.
“I felt strongly about annoucing my retirement, saying it would be my last year. This will allow me to share that with my family, my friends, and all the people in New York who watched me growing up, so they can see me play in my hometown. It’s exciting. It’s also bittersweet.”
💚🥺<a href=”https://twitter.com/S10Bird?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@S10Bird</a> x <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheFinalSeason?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TheFinalSeason</a> <a href=”https://t.co/cvCtYwhkoJ”>pic.twitter.com/cvCtYwhkoJ</a>
—@seattlestorm
Bird is a four-time WNBA Champion, 12-time All-Star and the oldest player of the league. She has been with Seattle her entire WNBA career since she was drafted No. After her distinguished college career at UConn, she was the No. 1 draft pick in 2002. This season marks her 21st association with the franchise, but she is only her 19th after missing two seasons due to injuries.
Her resume is a source of envy for anyone involved in professional sports, including basketball. National championships at UConn, 2000 and 2002. WNBA titles with Seattle in 2008, 2018, and 2020. The last one was during the coronavirus pandemic in Florida.
Bird also won five titles overseas in the EuroLeague. She added a fifth Olympic medal in Tokyo last year to the ones the United States won in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing.
Bird was the AP National Player of the Year in her last season at UConn. Bird is a five time all-WNBA selection, the league’s leader in assists, and the only player to have appeared in more than 500 games.
I’ve decided this will be my final year. I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year, just like this little girl played her first ☺️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheFinalYear?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#TheFinalYear</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/seattlestorm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@seattlestorm</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Uo2YqCCKUD”>pic.twitter.com/Uo2YqCCKUD</a>
—@S10Bird
She has been recognized on every list of the best and most influential players of the league’s history. She is the standard by which all other point guards will be judged.
Bird turns 42 on October. He was close to stepping aside a year ago. Fans chanted “One More Year!” when the Storm were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury in playoffs. One more year! As she gave an interview on-court that was televised.
These cheers were elicited by Diana Taurasi (Phoenix’s long-time star and former college teammate from UConn) who was part of all five Olympic gold medal runs.
In the end, the fans — and Taurasi — got what they wanted. Bird returned for one more year.
“Sue Bird was Storm basketball,” Bird’s WNBA team tweeted shortly after Bird made her decision. “Every moment, every memory has a constant. No. 10. It’s the end of the chapter.
Source: CBC Sports
