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BASKETBALL

There Comes A Time When It's Time To Hang Up The Basketball, Jersey , Shoes! For Seattle Guard Sue Bird That Time Comes After Playing Her 18th WNBA Season, Final Season For Seattle

There comes a time when it’s time to hang up the Basketball, Jersey, Shoes!

For Seattle guard Sue Bird that time comes after playing her 18th WNBA Season, Final Season for Seattle.

Why?

Sue Bird had this to say about her decision to hang up the Basketball, Jersey, Shoes on her social media page on Twitter”

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 #TheFinalYear @seattlestorm

Sue Bird was drafted by Seattle as the first pick in the first round of the 2002 WNBA Draft out of Connecticut.

Sue Bird’s career highlights as the Seattle Storm guard include Four-time WNBA Champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)

  • All-time WNBA assists leader, passing Ticha Penicheiro on Aug. 1, 2017 at Washington with dime No. 2,600; finished 2021 season with 3,048 total assists

  • In that same game on Aug. 1, 2017 at Washington, became one of only two players to accomplish a 13-assist, 0-turnover game (Jennifer Rizzotti, CLE, 14 assists and 0 turnovers, June 21, 2002 vs. NYL — since been accomplished twice by Courtney Vandersloot).

  • All-time WNBA leader in career starts, with 549. Bird has never come off the bench in her 18-year career.

  • Broke the WNBA’s all-time career games started on Aug. 5, 2017 at San Antonio, starting her 470th career game, moving past Tina Thompson

  • Only WNBA player to appear in 500 career games

  • Twelve-time WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021)

  • Five-time All-WNBA First Team (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2016)

  • Three-time All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)

  • Three-time WNBA regular-season assist leader (2005, 2009, 2016)

  • Five-time Olympic gold medalist with USAB (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)

  • Four-time FIBA World Championship gold medalist with USAB (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018) & one bronze medal (2006)

  • Three-time WNBA Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award (2018, 2017, 2011 co-winner with Ruth Riley)

  • Two-time NCAA Champion at UConn (2000, 2002)

  • Named to WNBA’s W25 Team, recognizing the 25 greatest players in league history during 25th anniversary (2021)

  • Named one of the 20 greatest players in WNBA history at the league’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2016

  • Named one of the 15 greatest players in WNBA history at the league’s 15th anniversary celebration in 2011

  • WNBA All-Decade Team (2006)

  • Became Seattle’s all-time leader in field goals at Los Angeles on July 25, 2017

  • Scored her 5,000th career point on Aug, 2, 2015 at New York, in front of friends and family, becoming the first player in WNBA history to score 5,000 career points and record 2,000 assists

  • Recorded 3,000th career assist on July 9 at Phoenix, becoming first player to reach milestone

  • Has scored or assisted on 27.6% of every basket scored in Storm history, including four seasons she didn’t play with the team, and 32.9% of Storm buckets in 18 seasons with the team.

  • Scored 300+ points in 15 seasons, tied with Tina Thompson for most in WNBA history

  • No. 1 overall pick in 2002 WNBA Draft (Seattle)

  • Second-leading vote-getter in 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year voting

  • 2002 Sportswomen of the Year

  • Sixth player to win an NCAA Championship, a WNBA Championship, and an Olympic gold medal.

  • Won a national high-school championship at Christ the King High School, a Euroleague title, and Russian Superleague title

2021 HIGHLIGHTS WITH SEATTLE:

  • Eighth WNBA player to play in a game after turning 40

  • First WNBA player to record at least eight assists in a game after turning 40 and just the fifth to do so between the WNBA and NBA, joining John Stockton (53x), Karl Malone (3x), Steve Nash (2x), and Michael Jordan (1x).

  • Led the league with a 3.40 assist to turnover ratio, dishing out 160 assists while committing just 47 turnovers

  • Recorded 3,000th career assist on July 9 at Phoenix, becoming first player to reach milestone

  • Poured in her 900th career three-pointer on June 9 at Atlanta, and moved into second on the all-time three-point made list with her 907th three pointer at Indiana on June 15.

  • Finished the season with 945 career three-pointers made after connecting on 67 during the season–the third-most in a season in her career.

  • Scored a season-high 21 points twice, first at Minnesota on May 20 the two games later vs Connecticut on May 25

  • Dished out a season-best 10 assists vs Dallas on June 4

  • Closed out the season making at least one three-pointer in each of the final 28 games of the season–the longest active streak in the WNBA, the second-longest of her career (33, May 26, 2016 – May 26, 2017), and tied for the 14th-longest in WNBA history

  • Won record 5th Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

  • Became 2nd player to appears in WNBA Playoff game after turning 40 (Taj McWilliams-Franklin, 2011, 2012)

    I am sure there will be more career highlights as Sue plays her 18th season WNBA Season, Final Season for Seattle.

WNBAAbigail BaggettSue Bird, Seattle StormComment