Sue Bird - The Sage

BASKETBALL - WNBA - SEATTLE STORM - TEAM USA - OLYMPIAN

ARCHETYPE: THE SAGE

Day 131/135

Athletic Accomplishments

Sue Bird is the point guard for the Seattle Storm and for Team USA, making her fifth Olympic roster and in pursuit of her fifth Olympic gold medal.

Bird grew up in New York, a multisport athlete, playing soccer, tennis, and track in addition to her first love: basketball. In high school, she played hoops for Syosset for two years but sought more competition to elevate her game. She transferred to Christ the King for her last two years. In her senior year, Bird led Christ the King to an undefeated season, winning the New York State championship as well as a national title. She was named the New York State Player of the Year, the New York Daily News Player of the Year, and a WBCA All-American.

In 1999, she started her college career at UConn where she got off to a strong start before being sidelined with a torn ACL. Unfortunately for Bird, it was too late in the season to redshirt. But she came back her sophomore year fully recovered and took the NCAA by storm, pushing UConn to a 36-1 record, a Big East championship, and an NCAA title. Her junior year, the Huskies made it to the Final Four.

As a senior in 2002, Bird lit it up on the national scene. She led UConn to an undefeated season, winning the Big East and NCAA championships, while racking up individual awards: winning her third Nancy Lieberman Award (given to the nation’s top point guard), the Wade Trophy, USBWA Women's National Player of the Year, AP College Player of the Year, Big East Player of the Year, and the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year. That’s a whole lotta hardware.

In the 2002 WNBA Draft, Bird was drafted the No. 1 pick, by the Seattle Storm, where she has played her entire WNBA career. She was selected as an All-Star and First Team All-WNBA in her rookie year, but that was just the start of it for Bird, whose career has spanned almost 20 years.

It’s almost silly to rattle off these accolades:

• 4× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)

• 12× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021)

• 5× All-WNBA First Team (2002–2005, 2016)

• 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)

• 3× WNBA assists leader (2005, 2009, 2016)

• 2× WNBA peak performer (2009, 2016)

• WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)

• WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)

• Member of WNBA All-Decade Team

• WNBA all-time assists leader

She has also played for three Russian teams, winning five Russian National League AND five EuroLeague championships.

Bird is currently the oldest player in the WNBA, though it sure doesn’t show. After recovering from multiple knee surgeries across multiple seasons, Bird seemingly sprung back to her prime in 2016. The timing could not have been better for the Seattle Storm, who picked up back-to-back No. 1 picks with Jewel Lloyd in 2015 and Breanna Stewart in 2016. The result has been two WNBA titles, in 2018 and again last year.

Bird also worked in the front office for the Denver Nuggets, as a Basketball Operations Associate. But she is not yet ready to talk about retirement. And why should she? She’s still got the legs, handles, and shooting range to continue.

Character Archetype: The Sage

Sue Bird is—hands down—one of the best point guards and players in WNBA history. A four-time champion and 12-time All-Star, looking to win her fifth gold medal at this summer’s Olympic Games.

Bird’s WNBA career has spanned five broken noses and almost 20 years. She is absolutely Benjamin Button-ing, recovering from multiple knee surgeries, somehow coming back fitter and stronger every time. How?

“A lot of hard work. I’m not even going to lie. I don’t cheat. I don’t cheat the game. I do what I have to do to be able to play at a high level,” she said in an interview after winning the 2020 WNBA Championship.

Bird is a seasoned vet, who also knows how to navigate being a professional athlete. She mentors fellow players, including stars like Jewel Lloyd and even Kyrie Irving. But Bird’s superpower is her ability to analyze, process, and make plays—not just on the court.

As a white woman in a predominately Black league, Bird knew that meant listening to her teammates to understand their experiences in a tumultuous, racially-charged 2020. When former Atlanta Dream owner and U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler spoke out against WNBA players advocating for Black Lives Matter, it was Bird who suggested that players wear VOTE WARNOCK shirts to amplify her opponent, who eventually took her seat in the Senate.

A lifetime point guard, Bird sees the game beyond the game. She’s schooling the next generation of athletes on how to have a long, successful career, how to move the ball to find the best shot, and how to build a legacy bigger than basketball.