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Sue Bird retiring: WNBA legend announces 2022 will be her final season

Sue Bird retiring
Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird lines up a 3-point shot against the Los Angeles Sparks during the second quarter of a WNBA basketball game Friday, May 20, 2022, in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

Sue Bird, one of the most decorated basketball players ever, announced on Thursday that the 2022 WNBA season will be her last before retiring. 

“I have loved every single minute, and still do,” she began. “So gonna play my last year, just like this litter girl played her first.”

The 41-year-old guard, born in Syosset, NY before attending high school at Christ the King in Queens, spent her entire 19-year WNBA career with the Seattle Storm, becoming one of the greatest players the league has ever seen. 

She ranks first all-time in league history with 559 games played and 3,114 assists, fourth with 700 steals, and also ranks seventh with 6,639 points.

Along with 12 All-Star Game selections, Bird helped the Storm win four WNBA titles — the most recent coming in 2020 with a 3-0 sweep of the Las Vegas Aces. 

Her accolades earned her a place on each of the WNBA’s 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th-anniversary teams as well.

While she also played internationally in Russia during offseasons, Bird was a fixture for the United States Olympic team, winning five consecutive gold medals from 2004-2020.

Bird is also considered one of the greatest college basketball players ever, winning two NCAA Championships at UConn and winning the 2002 Naismith Award as that year’s best women’s college basketball player. 

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