Sue Bird

Sue Bird broke down in tears on the court after playing the final game of her incredible WNBA career.

So it was a combination of those two things." Twitter Tweet Unavailable Sue spoke to reporters after the game ... Bird was understandably overwhelmed with emotion ... breaking down in tears on the court as fans chanted, "Thank You, Sue!"

Fans broke out in "Thank you, Sue" chants after Sue Bird's final game and the emotions started flowing in for one of basketball's legends.

But when the final buzzer sounded, at least for a moment, it didn’t feel like any of those numbers mattered anymore. The The Seattle Storm couldn’t eke out just one more win against the Aces in Game 4.

The college, Olympic and WNBA star has played her last game after a peerless two-decade career. Former Knick Kenny 'Sky' Walker pays back her youthful ...

[the top-selling jersey in the WNBA](https://www.wsj.com/articles/sue-bird-the-wnba-sensation-peaking-at-age-39-11602085018?mod=article_inline). She joined in as players continued their practice of protest [in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-year-the-entire-wnba-became-political-players-11601643788?mod=article_inline). Meanwhile, she became a popular ambassador as the women’s game grew off the court. soccer star Megan Rapinoe—the two are now engaged—and she came out as gay in 2017. The WNBA is the longest-running major women’s professional league in the U.S. She’s the Bird was the WNBA’s No. I’m pretty quick, I’m not the quickest. Bird helped lead the Storm to four WNBA championships over her 19 seasons, all in Seattle. The U.S. When Sue Bird was growing up in the Long Island hamlet of Syosset, N.Y., she would go to New York Knicks games and gape. The NCAA held its first women’s basketball tournament in 1982.

20 years after she was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, Bird retires as one of the greatest that the game of basketball has ever ...

In the later years, Bird wasn't just along for the ride, either. The second title capped off an undefeated 39-0 campaign that was Bird's senior season in 2002 — a fitting send-off for a winner of Bird's magnitude. No other member of the 2002 All-WNBA Team played past 2016. And again in 2018. As an emotional Bird walked off the court for one final time after the Seattle Storm were eliminated from the 2022 WNBA Playoffs, phrases like "future Hall of Famer" and "G.O.A.T." 20 years after she was selected with the No.

Cries of "Thank you Sue!" rang throughout Climate Pledge Arena, as Seattle Storm fans said goodbye to one of the game's all-time greats.

Married to Megan Rapinoe, Bird is also one half of the most notorious power couples in sports history. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft. Bird, 41, retires as one of the most most accomplished out gay athletes ever. The Seattle Storm’s Game 4 semifinal loss to the Las Vegas Aces, and subsequent playoff elimination, was disappointing. The 13-time All-Star and four-time champion heeded their calls, coming back for her 19th WNBA season. The cries rang throughout Climate Pledge Arena Tuesday in the moments after the final buzzer.

The Seattle Storm lost its semifinal game on Tuesday, bringing a bittersweet end to what the 41-year-old had said would be her final season.

And as vice president of the WNBA players union, she worked with her colleagues to navigate playing during a pandemic and [taking a stand](https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-announces-a-2020-season-dedicated-to-social-justice/) against racial injustice. Bird has said she will miss basketball, and suggested she may not be leaving the sport entirely. "I feel really passionate about that, given my experience as a female athlete fighting for scraps," she said. Once I kind of jumped over that, I knew I did the right thing because of how I felt afterward." [storied career](https://www.wnba.com/player/sue-bird/) has redefined basketball in Seattle and nationwide. 1 overall draft pick went on to become WNBA's all-time leader in both assists (over 3,000) and career starts (549), and the only player in the league to have appeared in 500 career games. Everest players who you look to whenever you think about the greatness of the players," sports journalist Howard Bryant "Of course I'm sad, but there's happiness too, to be able to have a moment like that with the fans, to have them chant the way they did. Her retirement doesn't come as a surprise. She's won four WNBA championships and participated in a record 12 All-Star games, and also won five consecutive Olympic gold medals for the U.S. We're judged on what we look like, we're judged on who we love. I know the tears don't look like happy tears, but there's a lot of happiness."

20 years after she was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, Bird retires as one of the greatest that the game of basketball has ever ...

In the later years, Bird wasn't just along for the ride, either. The second title capped off an undefeated 39-0 campaign that was Bird's senior season in 2002 — a fitting send-off for a winner of Bird's magnitude. No other member of the 2002 All-WNBA Team played past 2016. And again in 2018. As an emotional Bird walked off the court for one final time after the Seattle Storm were eliminated from the 2022 WNBA Playoffs, phrases like "future Hall of Famer" and "G.O.A.T." 20 years after she was selected with the No.

Seattle Storm fans showed their appreciation for WNBA legend Sue Bird following the final game of her illustrious career Tuesday night.

In 580 career regular-season games, Bird posted averages of 11.7 points, 5.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals. Of course I'm sad, but there's happiness too, to be able to have a moment like that with the fans, to have them chant the way they did. Remarkably, the 13-time All-Star never played for a WNBA team other than the Storm.

Sue Bird's career came to an end as Chelsea Gray scored 15 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter, and the Las Vegas Aces advanced to the WNBA Finals with a ...

On this night, the aftermath of the result was all about Bird and the conclusion to her two decades as a pillar to the Storm franchise and the WNBA. “When Chelsea is rocking and rolling my biggest thing is just getting the hell out of her way,” Wilson said. And I then think as the emotions started to come to the surface that was also what I know deep down in that was my last game,” Bird said. is just the fact that we’re no longer going to be on the court with Sue,” Stewart said. Wilson’s three-point play put the Aces back ahead 85-83 and Gray wouldn’t miss, her jumper with 30 seconds left giving the Aces a 92-87 lead. Seattle pulled even at 67-all, only to have Gray hit a 3 as the shot clock expired. Bird finished her final game with eight points and eight assists. Breanna Stewart tied the WNBA playoff record with 42 points, just the fifth player to score 40 or more in a postseason game, and Jewell Loyd added 29. She wiped away tears while the crowd cheered and cried along with her, and chanted “Thank you, Sue.” I felt sad about the season and the game. It will be the third Finals appearance in franchise history for Las Vegas. SEATTLE (AP) — This time there were tears, on the court and in the stands.

Chelsea Gray's heroics end the Storm's season—and Sue Bird's career. This was perhaps the best game of this outstanding postseason. An unforgettable back-and- ...

[prevailing in a fifth-set tiebreak](https://youtu.be/qhX1Yl3SORo). [beat 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/09/06/us-open-frances-tiafoe-beats-rafael-nadal) in four sets Monday to make his first U.S. [wasn’t quite as dominant as it could have been](https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/09/06/psg-juventus-champions-league-mbappe-neymar-messi). [Blake’s career head-to-head against Nadal is impressive](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/james-blake-vs-rafael-nadal/b676/n409). Wilson took over the starting job for the Seahawks before the 2012 season and immediately gave life to a franchise that hadn’t finished above .500 in a season since ’07. … And in the sports media world, College GameDay is adding [a big name to its lineup: Pat McAfee](http://si.com/college/2022/09/07/espn-college-gameday-adds-popular-ex-nfl-player-pat-mcafee). … Jonathan Wilson analyzes [Chelsea’s abrupt firing of manager Thomas Tuchel](https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/09/07/thomas-tuchel-fired-chelsea-boehly-potter-pochettino). Open run [ended in straight sets](https://twitter.com/TennisChannel/status/1567315134569394177?s=20&t=sS7LTyes26__iPjaKDLSMw), but fifth-seeded Ons Jabeur punched her ticket to the semifinals in yesterday’s other women’s singles match. [and the MMQB staff has dropped its first power rankings of the season](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/09/06/nfl-preason-power-rankings-bills-packers-rams). … Meanwhile, the men’s draw got even more wide-open with [Nick Kyrgios getting bounced by Karen Khachanov in five sets](https://twitter.com/TennisChannel/status/1567377242552176640). … Nick Selbe wrote about [why you once again shouldn’t have counted out the Rays](https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/09/06/rays-resurrection) after a recent monthlong surge to solidify their playoff standing. Included on the hit list were vanquished playoff foes like the Titans’ Julio Jones (“season on the line that man was hiding”) and the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill (“He’s a baby !

There was immediate social media reaction when the Seattle Storm were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs, ending the UConn women's basketball legend's ...

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Sue Bird's run for a fifth and final championship came to an end on Tuesday night as the Seattle Storm lost to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 4 of the WNBA ...

Since moving to Las Vegas in 2018, the Aces have made the playoffs for four of their first five seasons. It will be the third WNBA Finals appearance for the Aces in franchise history. And I then think as the emotions started to come to the surface that was also what I know deep down in that was my last game," Bird said after the loss. "When Chelsea is rocking and rolling my biggest thing is just getting the hell out of her way," Aces forward A’ja Wilson said after the game. The basketball legend announced in June that the 2022 season would be her last. She scored 12 of the