Bird, Sue (1980-…), was one of the top point guards in the history of women’s basketball. Bird was known for her tenacity (persistence) and court vision (awareness on the court). She stands 5 feet 9 inches (175 centimeters) tall. She starred at the University of Connecticut before joining the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 2002. Bird’s teams won two collegiate championships, three WNBA titles, five Olympic gold medals, and multiple world championships. She also won several European championships while playing for professional teams in Russia.
Suzanne Brigit Bird was born on Oct. 16, 1980, in Syosset, Long Island, New York. As a child, Bird displayed talent in soccer, tennis, basketball, and track. Prior to her junior year in high school, she transferred to Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, New York. As a senior in the 1997-1998 season, Bird led her team to an undefeated record and the state championship. She was selected the state’s player of the year. She then enrolled at the University of Connecticut. Her college teams won championships in the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 seasons. She won the Naismith Award as the top college player of the 2001-2002 season.
The Storm made Bird the first pick in the 2002 WNBA draft. As a rookie, Bird was selected to play in the WNBA All-Star game. In the 2003 season, she was named to the All-WNBA first team, a collection of the league’s top players at each of five positions. She was later selected to multiple All-Star and All-WNBA teams. The Storm won league championships in 2004, 2010, 2018, and 2020. She missed the 2013 and 2019 WNBA seasons after suffering knee injuries. When Bird retired in 2022, she ranked as the WNBA’s career leader in assists and minutes played.
In the WNBA’s off-season, Bird played basketball in Russia for such teams as Dynamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow Region, and UMMC Ekaterinberg. Five of Bird’s teams won Euroleague championships in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. As part of the U.S. Women’s Basketball Team, Bird won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 games in Athens. She won further Olympic gold with the U.S. team in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2021. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bird was also a part of U.S. teams that won International Basketball Federation (FIBA) world championships in 2002, 2010, 2014, and 2018.
