History of Sue Bird in Timeline
Sue Bird is a celebrated former professional basketball player, renowned for her remarkable career with the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. Drafted first overall in 2002, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, uniquely winning championships across three decades. Beyond her WNBA achievements, Bird also gained experience in the NBA as a Basketball Operations Associate for the Denver Nuggets and played for teams in the Russian league. She also holds dual citizenship with both the U.S. and Israel.
October 16, 1980: Sue Bird Born
On October 16, 1980, Suzanne Brigit Bird was born. She is an American former professional basketball player.
1998: Freshman Season at UConn
In 1998, Sue Bird started her freshman season at UConn, but her season was cut short due to a torn ACL injury.
1999: ACL Injury
In the 1998-1999 season, Sue Bird's freshman season was cut short as she suffered a torn ACL.
2000: Won Gold Medal at Jones Cup
In 2000, Sue Bird started all four games for the USA Basketball team at the Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan, leading the team with 17 assists and helping them win the gold medal.
2000: NCAA Championship
In 2000, Sue Bird won an NCAA Championship with UConn.
2000: Nancy Lieberman Award
In 2000, Sue Bird won the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the top point guard in the nation.
2001: Final Four Loss
In 2001, Sue Bird and the Huskies went 32-3, with the final loss coming against UConn's Big East rival Notre Dame in the Final Four.
2001: Nancy Lieberman Award
In 2001, Sue Bird won the Nancy Lieberman Award for the second time.
2002: NCAA Championship
In 2002, Sue Bird secured another NCAA Championship with UConn.
2002: Drafted into WNBA
In 2002, Sue Bird was drafted first overall by the Seattle Storm in the WNBA draft.
2002: Nancy Lieberman Award
In 2002, Sue Bird won the Nancy Lieberman Award, marking her third consecutive win.
2002: College Player of the Year Awards
In 2002, during her senior season, Sue Bird won the Wade Trophy, Honda Sports Award, and Naismith Award as College Player of the Year.
2003: Named to United States Olympic Basketball Team
In 2003, Sue Bird was named to the United States 2004 Women's Olympic Basketball Team's roster.
2004: First WNBA Championship
In 2004, Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm won their first WNBA Championship. With the WNBA Championship win, Bird became one of 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA Championship.
2004: Won Gold at Athens Olympics
In 2004, Sue Bird and the USA team won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
2005: UConn Career Rankings
As of 2005, Sue Bird held significant rankings in various statistical categories at UConn, including No. 24 on the 1,000-point list, No. 2 in assists, and seventh in steals.
2005: Reached Russian Championship and Euroleague playoffs
In 2005, Sue Bird played with Dynamo Moscow, reaching the Russian championship and the Euroleague women's playoffs during the WNBA off-season.
September 2006: Competed in World Championships and Won Bronze Medal
In September 2006, Sue Bird played in the World Championships held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She helped the USA team win eight of nine games, ultimately securing the bronze medal.
2006: Won Russian Super League and EuroLeague Women championships
In 2006, Sue Bird joined Sparta&K with fellow UConn stars to win both the Russian Super League and the EuroLeague Women championships.
2006: Huskies of Honor
In 2006, Sue Bird was a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.
2007: EuroLeague Women Champion
In 2007, Sue Bird became a EuroLeague Women champion.
2008: Won Gold Medal at Beijing Olympics
In 2008, Sue Bird qualified for the Olympic basketball team, which won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. She started all eight games and tied for seventh in steals.
2009: Invited to National Team Training Camp
In 2009, Sue Bird was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp for the 2010 World Championship.
July 10, 2010: Competed in WNBA All-Star Game
On July 10, 2010, Sue Bird competed with the USA National team against WNBA All-Stars in the WNBA-sponsored All-Star game. Team USA won 99–72.
October 2010: Competed in the FIBA World Championships
In October 2010, Sue Bird competed in the FIBA World Championships in the Czech Republic after participating in a training camp and exhibition games.
2010: Second WNBA Championship
In 2010, Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm won their second WNBA Championship.
2010: Competed in Training Camp
In 2010, Sue Bird participated in the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp.
2011: Played for UMMC Ekaterinburg
In 2011, Sue Bird began playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian League during the WNBA off-season.
2011: WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time
In 2011, Sue Bird was voted as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time.
2012: Knee Problems during the 2012 WNBA season
During the 2012 WNBA season, Sue Bird experienced knee problems, but still managed to play in 29 games.
2012: Won Fifth Straight Gold Medal at Summer Olympics
In 2012, Sue Bird competed for the U.S. in the Summer Olympics, where the Americans won their fifth straight gold medal.
2012: Named to the Olympic team.
In 2012, Sue Bird planned to be selected for the Olympics team.
2013: Knee Surgery and Season Absence
In 2013, Sue Bird had knee surgery, preventing her from playing the entire season.
2013: EuroLeague Women Champion
In 2013, Sue Bird was a EuroLeague Women champion.
2014: Consecutive Championships in Russian League
In 2014, Sue Bird concluded her time with UMMC Ekaterinburg, having won three consecutive championships in the Russian league.
2014: Won Gold Medal at FIBA World Championship
In 2014, Sue Bird played for Team USA during the FIBA World Championship for Women, where they defeated Spain to win the gold medal.
2014: Return to WNBA
In 2014, Sue Bird returned to the WNBA, playing 33 games, averaging 10.6 ppg and 4.0 apg, and was voted as a WNBA all-star.
February 16, 2016: Re-signing with the Seattle Storm
On February 16, 2016, Sue Bird re-signed with the Storm to a multi-year deal in free agency.
2016: Won Sixth Straight Gold Medal at Summer Olympics
In 2016, Sue Bird competed for Team USA in the Summer Olympics, helping the team win its sixth straight gold medal. This was Bird's fourth Olympic title.
2016: Met Megan Rapinoe
In 2016, Sue Bird met Megan Rapinoe at the Rio Olympics.
2016: All-WNBA First Team Selection
In the 2016 season, Sue Bird had a resurgence, earning a spot on the All-WNBA First Team for the fifth time in her career and leading the league in assists.
April 2017: Knee Surgery
In April 2017, Sue Bird underwent left knee surgery, causing her to miss training camp.
May 21, 2017: Season Debut
On May 21, 2017, Sue Bird made her season debut, becoming the oldest active player and starter in the WNBA.
June 11, 2017: Season-High Performance
On June 11, 2017, Sue Bird scored a season-high 21 points and 10 assists in a loss to the New York Liberty.
July 20, 2017: Came Out as Lesbian and Revealed Relationship with Megan Rapinoe
On July 20, 2017, Sue Bird publicly came out as a lesbian, revealing her relationship with soccer player Megan Rapinoe.
September 1, 2017: All-Time Assist Leader
On September 1, 2017, Sue Bird became the WNBA all-time leader in assists with a career total of 2,600 assists.
July 8, 2018: All-Time Leading Scorer for the Storm
On July 8, 2018, Sue Bird became the Storm's all-time leading scorer, passing Lauren Jackson's record.
July 19, 2018: Most All-Star Appearances
On July 19, 2018, Sue Bird was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, surpassing Tamika Catchings for most all-star appearances.
July 22, 2018: Most Regular-Season Games Played
On July 22, 2018, Sue Bird set the record for the most WNBA regular-season games played, reaching 500 games.
August 2018: WNBA Players Union Vice President
In August 2018, Sue Bird became the vice president of the WNBA players union, taking on a leadership role.
2018: Cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue"
In 2018, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe became the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue".
2018: Won Fourth World Cup Gold Medal
In 2018, Sue Bird qualified for Team USA during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain. Winning the gold medal made her the only player to win four World Cup gold medals, with 107 assists, leading the U.S. in assists at the World Cup.
2018: WNBA Championship
In 2018, Sue Bird won her third WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm.
May 2019: Knee Surgery and Season Absence
In May 2019, Sue Bird needed arthroscopic surgery on her left knee, causing her to miss the remainder of the 2019 season.
October 30, 2020: Announced Engagement to Megan Rapinoe
On October 30, 2020, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announced their engagement.
2020: Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic
During her term as vice president in 2020, Sue Bird helped navigate the WNBA through the COVID-19 pandemic and negotiated with the league for safe gameplay, also prioritizing activism and social justice messages.
2020: Co-hosted the ESPYs
In 2020, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe were the first LGBTQ+ couple to co-host the ESPYs.
2020: WNBA Championship and Olympic Gold Medal
In 2020, Sue Bird won her fourth WNBA championship with the Storm and secured her fifth Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
2020: Fourth WNBA Championship
In 2020, Sue Bird won her fourth WNBA championship, making her the first player in WNBA history to win a championship in three different decades.
2020: Tokyo Summer Olympics Delayed
In 2020, The Tokyo Summer Olympic Games were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2021: Surpassed Katie Smith's Career Points & Honored in The W25 List
In July 2021, Sue Bird surpassed Katie Smith's 6452 career points on the WNBA career scoring list during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. She ended the game with 6490 points and was honored in The W25 list, recognizing the 25 greatest players in WNBA history.
July 23, 2021: Carried U.S. Flag at Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony
On July 23, 2021, Sue Bird carried the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, selected by fellow athletes as a flag bearer.
2021: The W25 Selection
In 2021, Sue Bird was voted into The W25 as one of the league's top 25 players of all time.
June 16, 2022: Retirement Announcement
On June 16, 2022, Sue Bird publicly confirmed her retirement from professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season.
September 7, 2022: Final Game
On September 7, 2022, Sue Bird's final game occurred with the Seattle Storm's playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces, marking the end of her professional basketball career.
2022: Final All-Star Appearance
From her 2002 rookie season to her 2022 retirement, Sue Bird made a record 13 appearances playing in the Western Conference All-Star team.
2022: Became Part-Owner of Gotham FC
In 2022, Sue Bird became a part-owner of National Women's Soccer League franchise NJ/NY Gotham FC.
2022: Included in Queer 50 List
In 2022, Sue Bird was included in the Queer 50 list.
July 23, 2023: Seattle Storm Retired Bird's Jersey
On July 23, 2023, the Seattle Storm retired Sue Bird's number 10 jersey during a ceremony at Climate Pledge Arena, with team owners and former teammates present.
September 1, 2024: As of September 1, 2024
As of September 1, 2024, Sue Bird's legacy continues.
2024: WNBA Player Record
As of 2024, Sue Bird is the only WNBA player to win titles in three different decades, highlighting her enduring legacy.
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