Sue Bird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sue Bird

Bird at SXSW 2024
Seattle Storm
Part owner
Personal information
Born	(1980-10-16) October 16, 1980 (age 44) Syosset, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American, Israeli
High school	Syosset (Syosset, New York) Christ the King (Queens, New York)
Listed height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Listed weight	150 lb (68 kg)
Career information
College	UConn (1998–2002)
NBA Draft	2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Seattle Storm
Pro career	2002–2022
League	WNBA
Career history
2002–2022	Seattle Storm
2004–2006	Dynamo Moscow
2006–2011	Spartak Moscow Region
2011–2014	UMMC Ekaterinburg
Career highlights and awards
4× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020) 13× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) 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 10th Anniversary Team (2006) WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011) WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016) WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021) Commissioner's Cup champion (2021) No. 10 retired by Seattle Storm USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (2021) 5× Russian National League champion (2007, 2008, 2012–2014) 5× EuroLeague champion (2007–2010, 2013) 2× Europe SuperCup winner (2009, 2010) 2× NCAA champion (2000, 2002) 3× Nancy Lieberman Award (2000–2002) Wade Trophy (2002) Honda Sports Award (2002) Naismith College Player of the Year (2002) USBWA Women's National Player of the Year (2002) AP College Player of the Year (2002) Big East Player of the Year (2002) All-American – USBWA, Kodak (2002) First-team All-American – AP (2002) Third-team All-American – AP (2001) Senior CLASS Award (2002) 2× First-team All-Big East (2001, 2002)
Career WNBA statistics
Points	6,803 (11.7 ppg)
Rebounds	1,466 (2.5 rpg)
Assists	3,234 (5.6 apg)
Medals Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team Gold 2008 Beijing Team Gold 2012 London Team Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Gold 2020 Tokyo Team World Championship Gold 2002 China Gold 2010 Czech Republic Gold 2014 Turkey Gold 2018 Spain Bronze 2006 Brazil

Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. She played her entire career with the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Storm picked Bird first in the 2002 WNBA draft. Many people think she is one of the best players in WNBA history.

As of 2024, Sue Bird is the only WNBA player to win championships in three different decades. She also worked for the NBA's Denver Nuggets in their basketball operations. Bird was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. Besides her WNBA career, she played for three teams in Russia. She has dual citizenship with the United States and Israel.

In high school, Bird was named New York State Player of the Year. She also won the New York Daily News Player of the Year award. She was a WBCA All-American. In 2002, her University of Connecticut team was undefeated. She won the Wade Trophy and the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year. She finished her college career with top records in three-point shooting and free throw accuracy. She was also second in assists and steals. Bird won the Nancy Lieberman Award three times as the best point guard in the country. Her UConn team had an amazing record of 114 wins and only 4 losses.

Bird has won many major titles. She won four WNBA championships with the Storm (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020). She also won five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020). She won two NCAA Championships with UConn (2000, 2002). Plus, she won four FIBA World Cups (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018). She is one of only 11 women to achieve all four of these honors. She also won the EuroLeague Women championship five times (2007–2010, 2013).

During her WNBA career, she was chosen for thirteen WNBA All-Star teams. She was also on eight All-WNBA teams. Fans voted her one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011. In 2016, she was named to the WNBA Top 20@20 list. In 2021, she was part of The W25, recognizing the league's top 25 players. Her fifth Olympic gold medal in Tokyo made her one of only two basketball players ever to win five gold medals. The other player is her US Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi.

Bird announced on June 16, 2022, that she would stop playing professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season. Her last game was on September 7, 2022. The Storm lost their playoff game to the Las Vegas Aces that day. Bird was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on April 5, 2025.

Early Life and Family Background

Sue Bird was born in Syosset, New York, on Long Island. Her parents are Herschel and Nancy Bird. She has an older sister named Jen. Her father's family has Russian-Jewish roots. In the 1900s, her paternal grandparents moved to the United States from what is now Ukraine. When her grandfather arrived at Ellis Island, their last name was changed from "Boorda" to "Bird".

Bird also has Israeli citizenship. This helped her play for European basketball teams. European rules limit the number of American players on a team. Having Israeli citizenship allowed her to play more. However, she always played for the United States, her birth country, in international games.

Starting Sports and Basketball

Bird loved sports from a young age. Her older sister, who was also athletic, inspired her. Besides basketball, Sue played soccer and tennis and ran track. In fifth grade, she thought about becoming a lawyer, doctor, or professional soccer player.

She started playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball in sixth grade. When she was only 11, she played during halftime of a college basketball game. She played so well that a security guard asked for her autograph!

High School Basketball Career

Bird played her first two years of high school basketball at Syosset High School. But she wanted to play against tougher teams. So, she moved to Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, New York.

She played two seasons for Christ the King's Lady Royals basketball team. In her junior year, the team had a record of 24 wins and 3 losses. In her senior year, her team was undefeated. They won the New York state championship and the national title. Bird earned many awards, including New York State Player of the Year. She was also named New York Daily News Player of the Year. She was a WBCA All-American. She scored 11 points in the WBCA High School All-America Game.

College Basketball Journey

Many universities wanted Bird to play for them, including UConn, Stanford, and Vanderbilt. She liked the UConn Huskies but hesitated because two other point guards had already committed to the team. When one of them changed her mind, Bird decided to join UConn. She also liked that UConn was close to her home and offered more chances to play.

Eight games into her first year, Bird tore a ligament in her knee (ACL injury). She couldn't play the rest of the 1998–1999 season. In her second year (1999–2000), she led the team to a 36–1 record. They won the Big East Championship and the 2000 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. In her junior year (2000–2001), the Huskies went 32–3. They lost to Notre Dame in the Final Four.

In her senior year (2001–2002), the Huskies had a perfect 39–0 season. Bird won the Wade Trophy, Honda Sports Award, and Naismith Award as College Player of the Year. During her junior year, Bird played in a famous game against Notre Dame. Sportswriter Jeff Goldberg called it "the best women's basketball game ever played". Bird made the winning shot at the buzzer in that game.

She finished her UConn career with many records. She was number 24 on the 1,000-point list with 1,378 points. She was second in assists with 585 and seventh in steals with 243. She was first in three-point field goal percentage (45.9%) and free throw percentage (89.2%). She won two National Championships and three Big East Championships. Bird was the first person to win the Nancy Lieberman Award in 2000. This award goes to the best point guard in the nation. She won it again in 2001 and 2002. Her record at UConn in games she played was 114 wins and 4 losses. In 2006, Bird was part of the first group of players honored in the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" program.

College Statistics Overview

Professional Basketball Career

Playing in the WNBA

Bird during the 2008 playoffs against the LA Sparks

The Seattle Storm chose Sue Bird as the very first pick in the 2002 WNBA draft. She joined superstar Lauren Jackson, who was also a first pick the year before. In her first season, Bird started all 32 games for the Storm. She averaged 14.4 points per game. She was chosen to start for the 2002 WNBA Western Conference All-Star team. Bird was almost named Rookie of the Year. She was also one of only two rookies to make the All-WNBA First Team. Bird and Jackson helped the Storm reach the playoffs for the first time. In her first year, Bird scored a career-high 33 points against the Portland Fire. From 2002 until she retired in 2022, she made a record 13 appearances on the Western Conference All-Star team.

In 2004, the Storm added Betty Lennox to their team. With Bird and Lauren Jackson, they formed a powerful group. This trio led the Storm to their first WNBA Championship. By winning the WNBA Championship, Bird became one of only 11 women to achieve a special "grand slam" in basketball. This means winning an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA Championship. Other players who have done this include Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Tamika Catchings, Brittney Griner, and fellow UConn players Swin Cash, Kara Wolters, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Asjha Jones.

On the way to the Storm's second championship in 2010, Bird made one of the most exciting plays in WNBA playoff history. In the Conference Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, Bird hit a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left. This shot helped the Storm win 91–88 after being down by 19 points. They then moved on to the 2010 WNBA Finals. In Game 1 of the Finals, Bird made another game-winning jump shot with two seconds left. The Storm won that game 79–77 and later swept the series to win the championship. In 2011, players, coaches, and fans voted her one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time.

During the 2012 WNBA season, Bird had knee problems. Still, she played 29 games in the regular season and playoffs. After the season, she had knee surgery. This meant she could not play the entire 2013 season.

Bird during the 2015 WNBA season

Bird returned for the 2014 WNBA season. She played 33 games, averaging 10.6 points and 4.0 assists per game. She was also voted a WNBA All-Star. However, the Storm did not make the playoffs in 2014 or the next year.

On February 16, 2016, Bird signed a new multi-year contract with the Storm. In the 2016 season, Bird played very well, showing her best performance since her knee surgery. She averaged 12.8 points per game and had her best three-point shooting percentage. She also led the league in assists with 5.8 per game. For the fifth time in her career, and the first time in 12 years, Bird was named to the All-WNBA First Team. Before the season, the Storm picked Breanna Stewart first in the 2016 WNBA draft. This was their second number one pick in a row, after drafting Jewell Loyd the year before. With Stewart and Loyd becoming star players, the Storm returned to the playoffs after three years. They finished with a 16–18 record. The Storm were the number 7 seed and lost to the Atlanta Dream in the first round. Bird was also on the WNBA Top 20@20 list, celebrating the league's twentieth anniversary.

Bird playing for Seattle Storm in 2018

In April 2017, Bird had surgery on her left knee. She missed training camp but returned on May 21, 2017. This made her the oldest active player and starter in the WNBA. She scored 9 points and had 10 assists in a win against the Washington Mystics. On June 11, 2017, Bird scored a season-high 21 points and 10 assists. She was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game, her 10th appearance. Bird set an All-Star Game record with 11 assists. On September 1, 2017, Bird became the WNBA's all-time leader in assists. She passed Ticha Penicheiro with 2,600 career assists. She finished the 2017 season averaging a career-high in assists. The Storm finished 14–19 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

On July 8, 2018, Bird scored a season-high 21 points. In that game, she became the Storm's all-time leading scorer, passing Lauren Jackson's 6,007 points. On July 19, 2018, Bird was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, passing Tamika Catchings for the most All-Star appearances. On July 22, 2018, Bird broke another record. She played her 500th regular-season game, passing Delisha Milton-Jones for the most games played. By the end of the season, Bird had career-highs in assists, field goal shooting, and three-point shooting percentage. The Storm finished as the number 1 team with a 26–8 record. They got a direct pass to the semi-finals and home-court advantage. In the semi-finals, the Storm beat the Phoenix Mercury in a tough five-game series. Bird scored a season-high 22 points in game 5. The Storm then went to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2010. They swept the Washington Mystics in the Finals, winning their first championship in eight years.

In August 2018, Sue Bird became the vice president of the WNBA players' union. During her time, Bird helped lead the WNBA through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She worked with the league to ensure players could play safely. The players also wanted to use their platform for social justice messages. Bird's leadership helped the WNBA allow players to express these messages, for example, on their jerseys and on the basketball courts.

In May 2019, Bird needed knee surgery again and missed the entire 2019 season. Another key player, Breanna Stewart, also missed the season due to injuries. Even without them, the Storm made the playoffs. They won their first playoff game but were eliminated in the second round by the Los Angeles Sparks.

In 2020, Bird returned to play, but only in 11 regular-season games. The season was shorter and played in a special "wubble" (a contained area) due to the pandemic. She hurt her knee again during the season, missing five games. The Storm finished 18–4 as the number 2 team. They swept the Minnesota Lynx in the semi-finals. In the Finals, the Storm swept the Las Vegas Aces, winning Bird her fourth WNBA championship. This made her the first player in WNBA history to win a championship in three different decades.

In 2021, Bird signed a one-year deal with the Storm. This allowed her to play her 18th season, passing Milton-Jones for the most seasons played in the WNBA. In July 2021, she passed Katie Smith on the WNBA career scoring list. She was also honored on The W25 list, which recognized the "25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history" for the league's 25th season.

On June 16, 2022, Bird announced she would retire after the 2022 WNBA season. On July 23, 2023, the Seattle Storm retired her number 10 jersey in a ceremony. Team owners and former teammates Swin Cash and Lauren Jackson attended.

Playing Overseas

During the WNBA off-season from 2004–05, Bird played in Russia for Dynamo Moscow with Storm teammate Kamila Vodichkova. She played for the same team in 2005–06.

From 2006–07, she joined Storm teammate Lauren Jackson and UConn stars Diana Taurasi and Svetlana Abrosimova on the Russian team Sparta&K. They won both the Russian Super League and EuroLeague Women championships. Bird continued to play with this team for the next four WNBA off-seasons.

From 2011 to 2014, Bird played three off-seasons for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian League. She won three more championships there.

National Team Career

Bird playing for the USA women's national basketball team at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Bird played for USA Basketball on the 2000 Jones Cup Team in Taiwan. She started all four games and led the team with 17 assists, helping them win the gold medal.

In 2002, Bird was on the national team for the World Championships in China. The team won all nine games, including a close final against Russia. Bird scored 4.3 points per game.

In 2003–2004, Bird was chosen for the United States 2004 Women's Olympic Basketball Team. The USA team won the gold medal at the games in Athens, Greece.

In 2006, Bird was invited back to the National team for the World Championships in Brazil. With older players retiring, Bird, Candace Parker, and Diana Taurasi became key leaders. The USA team won eight of nine games but lost to Russia in the medal round, earning a bronze medal. Bird made 50% of her three-point shots and led the team with 41 assists.

In 2008, Bird again qualified for the Olympic basketball team. They won the 2008 gold medal in Beijing, China. Bird started all eight games and tied for seventh in the tournament with 14 steals.

Bird was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in 2009 for the 2010 World Championship and 2012 Olympics. On July 10, 2010, Bird played in a WNBA All-Star game where the USA National team played against WNBA All-Stars. Team USA won 99–72. Bird then qualified for the USA team competing in the FIBA World Championships in the Czech Republic.

The USA World team had only one day of practice together before the World Cup. Even with limited practice, they won their first game by 26 points. They continued to win by large margins. Their sixth game was against undefeated Australia, which they won 83–75. Team USA won the championship and gold medal. Bird averaged 5.6 points per game and led the team with 26 assists.

Bird played for the U.S. in the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Americans won their fifth straight gold medal. In 2014, Bird played for Team USA in the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. They beat Spain 77–64 to win the gold medal.

Bird competed for Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympics. The team won its sixth straight gold medal, beating Spain 101–72. This was Bird's fourth Olympic title.

In 2018, Bird played for Team USA in the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain. USA beat Australia 73–56 to win the gold medal. By winning, Bird became the only player, male or female, to win four World Cup gold medals. Bird had five assists in the final, making her the U.S. leader with the most assists at the World Cup (107 total).

On July 23, 2021, Bird carried the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Bird and baseball player Eddy Alvarez were chosen by other athletes to be the flag bearers. Bird said the honor was "mind-blowing". The Games were delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 8, 2025, it was announced that Bird would be the first managing director for the USA national women's team. She will choose the coaching staff for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Personal Life and Interests

Bird greets the ESPN broadcast team after a WNBA Playoffs game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream in 2024.

On July 20, 2017, Bird shared that she was in a relationship with soccer player Megan Rapinoe. They met at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2018, she and Rapinoe were the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue". They announced their engagement on October 30, 2020.

In 2020, Bird and Rapinoe were the first couple to co-host the ESPYs. She was included in the 2022 Queer 50 list.

In 2022, Bird became a part-owner of the National Women's Soccer League team NJ/NY Gotham FC. She also advises the league to help promote the club. In 2024, she joined the ownership group of the Seattle Storm, Force 10 Hoops. On July 16, 2024, Mattel announced a Sue Bird Barbie doll as part of Barbie's 65th anniversary.

WNBA Career Statistics

†	Denotes seasons in which Bird won a WNBA championship
	WNBA record

Career Achievements and Records

As of September 1, 2024

• Only player to win a WNBA championship in three different decades (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
• Oldest player in WNBA history to play a whole season: 41 years, 246 days
• Top 10 all-time in:
  • 1st in seasons played (20)
  • 1st in games played (580)
  • 1st in assists (3,234)
  • 1st in minutes played (18,080)
  • 1st in All-Star selections (13)
  • 1st in All-Star appearances (12)
  • 2nd in 3-pointers made (1,001)
  • 2nd in 3-point attempts (2,551)
  • 2nd in turnovers (1,393)
  • 3rd in steals (725)
  • 6th in field goal attempts (5,778)
  • 6th in field goals missed (3,233)
  • 7th in field goals made (3,299)
  • 8th in points (6,803)

Regular Season Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2002	Seattle	32°	32°	35.0	.403	.401	.911°	2.6	6.0	1.7	0.1	3.4	14.4
2003	Seattle	34°	34°	33.4	.421	.350	.884	3.3	6.5	1.4	0.0	3.2	12.4
2004†	Seattle	34°	34°	33.4	.463	.438	.859	3.1	5.4	1.5	0.2	2.5	12.9
2005	Seattle	30	30	34.0	.442	.437	.855	2.4	5.9°	1.0	0.2	2.9	12.1
2006	Seattle	34°	34°	31.3	.411	.366	.868	3.0	4.8	1.8	0.1	2.5	11.4
2007	Seattle	29	29	31.7	.428	.338	.846	2.0	4.9	1.5	0.3	2.3	10.4
2008	Seattle	33	33	33.7	.441	.343	.871	2.5	5.1	1.2	0.1	2.6	14.1
2009	Seattle	31	31	35.5°	.408	.360	.854	2.5	5.8°	1.5	0.1	2.6	12.8
2010†	Seattle	33	33	30.5	.434	.399	.857	2.7	5.8	1.5	0.2	1.8	11.1
2011	Seattle	34°	34°	33.0	.449	.428	.875	2.9	4.9	1.4	0.2	2.3	14.7
2012	Seattle	29	29	31.0	.459	.384	.783	2.9	5.3	0.9	0.1	2.2	12.2
2013	Did not play (injury)
2014	Seattle	33	33	29.2	.386	.345	.831	2.2	4.0	0.8	0.0	2.2	10.6
2015	Seattle	27	27	28.6	.384	.301	.796	2.3	5.4	0.9	0.1	2.4	10.3
2016	Seattle	34°	34°	31.6	.449	.444	.786	2.9	5.8°	1.0	0.2	2.5	12.8
2017	Seattle	30	30	30.0	.427	.393	.774	2.0	6.6	1.2	0.2	2.0	10.6
2018†	Seattle	31	31	26.5	.466	.448	.828	1.7	7.1	1.1	0.1	1.9	10.1
2019	Did not play (injury)
2020†	Seattle	11	11	23.4	.494	.469	.750	1.7	5.2	0.6	0.2	1.6	9.8
2021	Seattle	30	30	27.7	.431	.419	.833	2.6	5.3	0.9	0.1	1.6	10.0
2022	Seattle	31	31	26.4	.403	.389	1.000	1.9	6.0	1.2	0.1	1.9	7.8
Career	19 years, 1 team	580	580	31.2	.429	.392	.853	2.5	5.6	1.3	0.1	2.4	11.7
	All-Star	12	11	20.6	.463	.395	.714	2.9	5.8	0.7	0.2	1.6	6.8

Playoff Statistics

Awards and Honors

WNBA

• 4× WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
• Commissioner's Cup Champion (2021)
• 12× WNBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022)
• 5× All-WNBA First Team (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2016)
• 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2008, 2010, 2011)
• 3× WNBA assists leader (2005, 2009, 2016)
• 2× WNBA peak performer (2009, 2016)
• All-time record for All-star appearances
• All-time leader seasons played
• All-time assists leader
• All-time leader in games played
• All-time leader in minutes played
• All-time leader turnovers
• WNBA All-Decade Team (2006, Top 10 players from first 10 years)
• WNBA Top 15 Players of All Time (2011, Top 15 players from first 15 years)
• WNBA Top 20@20 (2016, Top 20 players from first 20 years)
• The W25 (2021, Top 25 players from first 25 years)

NCAA

• 2× NCAA National Champion (2000, 2002)
• 3× Nancy Lieberman Award (2000, 2001, 2002)
• Naismith College Player of the Year (2002)
• USBWA Women's National Player of the Year (2002)
• Senior CLASS Award (2002)
• Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year (2002)
• Honda Sports Award, basketball (2002)

USA Basketball

• 5× Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)
• 4× FIBA World Cup gold medalist (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018)
• 2006 FIBA World Cup bronze medalist

EuroLeague

• 5× EuroLeague Women Champion (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013)
• 2× EuroLeague All-Star (2008,2011)

Media

• Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year (2002)
• 2002 ESPY Award - Best Female College Athlete

Further Honors

• On August 26, 2024, the city of Seattle renamed a street near Climate Pledge Arena to "Sue Bird Court".
• White House visits: Bird is one of the only athletes ever to have been invited to the White House for her championship performances. This includes as a college player (University of Connecticut Huskies Women's Basketball), a professional player (Seattle Storm), and as part of a championship team's ownership group (Gotham FC). In total, she has been invited to the White House six times. She has received invitations from every U.S. president since George H. W. Bush.
• Sue Bird is a 2025 inductee of the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Sue Bird para niños

• UConn Huskies women's basketball
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
• List of Connecticut women's basketball players with 1000 points
• List of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball players with 500 assists
• List of select Jewish basketball players
• List of Jewish Olympic medalists
• List of WNBA career scoring leaders
• List of WNBA career assists leaders
• List of Women's National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of Women's National Basketball Association season assists leaders