Sue Bird laughed, joked and cried during an emotional news conference Thursday afternoon in which the WNBA legend discussed her retirement after the season.
Several times, the 41-year-old Storm star, who is the WNBA all-time assists leader and arguably the greatest player in team history, shed what she called “happy and sad tears” while reflecting on a brilliant 21-year career spent entirely with the Storm.
“Not a lot of people do something for their entire lives the way that athletes do,” Bird said. “Don’t get me wrong, I know that people are fulfilled in other ways and it’s not about a comparison. It’s just, sports is different, I think. I’ve been doing this since I was 5-6 years old. It’s really all I know. Of course, I’m sad. It’s a little bit like a mourning, knowing I’m going to miss it, but I have no regrets.
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“I feel wonderful about my career, the people I’ve met and the things we’ve all accomplished. That’s the sum up of that. And I’m excited about the next chapter. Like I said, I get to start this new life. But yeah, I know my personality.
“This is probably why for like a lot of years I’ve been saying I’m not going to announce my retirement while I play because I knew I would get like this.”
Bird told her Storm teammates Wednesday night during a team dinner and notified the staff Thursday morning shortly before making the announcement via social media.
“I’ve decided this will be my final year,” she posted along with a photo of her from last season and as a child playing basketball. “I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year, just like this little girl played her first.”
Bird, who turns 42 in October, is playing her 19th season — she sat out in 2013 and 2019 due to injuries — since being taken No. 1 overall by the Storm in the 2002 WNBA draft and has led Seattle to four league championships. The 12-time WNBA All-Star is the only player to win league championships in three different decades.
In addition to tallying the most assists (3,114) in WNBA history, Bird will retire No. 1 in games played (559 so far), second in career three-pointers (965), fourth in steals (700) and seventh in points (6,639).
Bird admitted it’s no easy thing to walk away from two decades with the Storm.
“I am very proud of playing my whole career here in Seattle,” she said. “It has nothing to do with the fact that it’s rare these days, I just have enjoyed all of my time here. I just feel so connected to the team and to the city, to the fan base and all the people that have come through. And that’s what it’s about.
“As you go through a career, you realize that it’s about the people. So I’m just really lucky that I played for a first-class organization alongside some of the world’s best and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Perhaps the most difficult part was breaking the news to family and friends and Bird broke down when describing her conversation with former Storm CEO Karen Bryant.
“Obviously, KB drafted me and brought me to the Storm and was there for my first, a long time,” Bird said. “She was there for 10-plus years. And just some of the words she shared, were just really touching. I’ll leave it there.”
Bird considered retiring last year and admitted she returned due in part to a “One More Year” chant she received from fans following Seattle’s loss in the second round of the playoffs, which ended the 2021 season.
The Seattle icon was also motivated to play at the new $1.15 billion Climate Pledge Arena.
Bird, who made $221,450 in 2021, voluntarily took a massive pay cut and signed a one-year deal worth $72,141, which helped the Storm re-sign Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Mercedes Russell while bringing in high-priced newcomers Gabby Williams and Briann January.
During an in-depth one-on-one interview before the season, Bird explained why she took less money this year.
“I play to win,” she said. “I just want to be on a team that’s able to win. What I find in sports, and this may be specific to women’s sports, you get all the things you want when you win. You don’t necessarily get those by looking at your bank account. Everyone has to figure that out for themselves, but that’s what I found for me.”
After a wobbly 5-4 start, the Storm is fourth in the WNBA standings at 9-5 and has a four-game winning streak heading into Friday’s 4 p.m. PT game at Connecticut (11-4).
This season, Bird is averaging 7.8 points on 33.8% shooting — both career lows — while tallying 6.6 assists per game, which ranks third in the WNBA.
“Sometimes someone will be like, ‘I can’t even tell you’re 41’ and I’m like, ‘What? Did you watch me play when I was 31?’” Bird said smiling. “I can tell the difference and that’s the big important key here. … Because of natural aging, you lose some stuff over time. You’re not as quick. You’re not as fast.
“There’s different things you lose so at times out there it is a compliment to think I’m able to help my team and I’m still able to perform. But I don’t think I’m fully myself anymore. And so there’s part of that where it’s sad to let that go or sad to know that’s gone. But there’s also a realization that I’m 41 and that’s OK too.”
Bird went on to say, “I feel like I’ve played as long as I can at a high level.” Then she cried for a bit and added: “It’s just gotten harder. So you know when to say when.”
Bird missed three games while in the league’s health and safety protocols and she sat out Tuesday’s 81-79 win at Minnesota due to illness.
It’s no coincidence Bird’s announcement precedes Sunday’s matchup against the New York Liberty, which will be played about 30 miles from where the former Connecticut Huskies star grew up in Syosset, New York.
“I had an inkling before the season started and I tried to be as up front as possible about that just knowing that this most likely was going to be my last year, but wanted to be absolutely positive,” Bird said. “As the season started, maybe even in training camp, I started to think about it a little bit more.
“I really deep down have known for a while so then it just became when do you want to say it. I juggled around a couple of ideas and to be honest it wasn’t until I started preparing for this road trip, particularly our last game, which is in New York. … Knowing it was going to be my last game in New York is really what started the thought process around announcing this would be my last year.
“I feel like for every athlete, it really just comes down to you know when you know. There isn’t necessarily a recipe for it.”
Bird joins Minnesota Lynx great Sylvia Fowles, the league’s all-time rebound leader, who is also retiring this season.
The Storm star was initially reluctant to announce her future plans fearing her impending retirement would overshadow the Storm’s bid for a fifth championship.
Bird doesn’t necessarily want to embark on a farewell tour during the remaining three months of the season, but several teams have expressed a desire to honor her during pregame celebrations.
Soon after her announcement, the tributes began pouring in for Bird.
“To be honest, I’m toying with the idea do I let teams do that?” said Bird who is expected to play Friday. “Do I need that? I don’t know. I feel like, I don’t personally need that, but I also understand that there are fan bases that might want to take that moment.
“Even in Dallas, I came out to sign autographs and they tried the ‘One More Year’ chant. And I said, ‘Not this time. It’s not going to work this time.’”
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