Sue Bird looks on during warm ups with the Seattle Storm before a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 18, 2022 in Seattle.
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird announced on Thursday that she will retire after the 2022 WNBA season.
The 41-year-old point guard posted a video on Instagram along with a brief message to break the news.
“I’ve decided this will be my final year,” she wrote. “I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year just like this little girl played her first #TheFinalYear”
This now means Bird will be eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2027.
Bird has won at every level she’s played. The Syosset, New York, native starred at UConn from 1998–2002, where she won two national championships. She was named the National Player of the Year in 2002 and was taken first overall in the WNBA draft that year by the Storm.
In 2004, she won her first Olympic gold medal, then added her first WNBA title later that year. That made her the sixth player ever to win an NCAA championship, a WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
Bird finished her USA Basketball career with a gold medal in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Along with her five golds, she has won four FIBA World Cup golds plus a bronze. That makes Bird the most decorated athlete in FIBA history, according to USA Basketball. She compiled a career record of 149-8 in her 21 years playing for the U.S.
A four-time WNBA champ and 12-time All-Star, Bird is the league’s all-time assists leader and the only player with over 3,000. The Storm currently sit second in the Western Conference with a 9-5 record.
While Bird’s skills on the hardwood have long spoken for themselves, she’s raised her public profile off the court in recent years, including hosting the 2020 ESPYS with girlfriend (and now fiancée) Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. soccer star.
Luke Hanlon #
Luke Hanlon is a sportswriter and editor based in Minneapolis. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
