Sue Bird is all in on Caitlin Clark tearing up the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark is the most prolific scorer in women’s college basketball, and she’s catching the attention of the sports world one logo 3-pointer at a time. Her deep shooting abilities are part of why future Hall of Famer Sue Bird predicts Clark’s popularity will translate to the WNBA, and she’ll be an All-Star during her rookie year.
For weeks on end, basketball fans have been talking about Caitlin Clark. Her game has brought national attention to the Iowa Hawkeyes, and she’s even gotten high praise from basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, who called her the greatest women’s college basketball player ever. Sue Bird, another basketball legend, has also been watching Clark. She appeared on ESPN shortly after Caitlin broke the NCAA scoring record to share how she wasn’t surprised about the Iowa Star’s dominance.
Now, Bird is doubling down on her compliments for Clark with a prediction. Per Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, during an upcoming episode on the Sports Media Podcast, Sue shared why she thinks Caitlin’s skillset and inevitable transition to the WNBA could mean All-Star honors during her rookie season.
Here’s what she said:
“I think if she plays up to her potential, yes, that’s realistic,” Bird said. “And, by the way, that’s not a knock on anyone in the WNBA. It’s going to be hard, but I think she can do it. You do have to see what happens when they get there. You are now playing against adults, and this is their career. But I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early, and I think a lot of it comes down to her long-distance shooting. That is her separator. You’re not really used to guarding people out there.”
Sue Bird thinks the NBA screwed up with its announcers for Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry.
Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu’s iconic three-point contest should’ve been a fantastic celebration of basketball. Two of the best shooters in the world, in two different leagues, meeting up for a fun shootout from deep in Indianapolis? What more could you ask for?
A thoughtful woman’s announcer next to Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan might have been a great start. That’s according to Sue Bird.
Instead of gushing about the contrasting styles and dynamic energy Curry and Ionescu bring to the court, Kenny Smith was rightfully pilloried for suggesting Ionescu should’ve shot behind the women’s standard three-point line even though she only lost by three. Also, her final score of 26 was equal to Damian Lillard’s winning total during the other three-point contest.
Surely not a coincidence, Bird appreciated the final results of Curry and Ionescu’s duel but lamented that there wasn’t a woman’s voice offering a nuanced perspective:
We needed a woman on the headsets, too. So much nuance & storytelling missed.
The league should learn a valuable lesson from this moment since this probably won’t be the only time an NBA and WNBA star square off in an All-Star Weekend event. Have an insightful booth featuring both perspectives, and everyone can just zero in on the fun.
“When Bill Russell did pass it was incredibly sad, but also a wonderful time to remember all that he has done for the sport of basketball,” said Bird
The basketball community mourned the loss of Bill Russell a little more than a year ago. He was a revered figure in the sport’s and civil rights history, evoking a mix of sadness and appreciation. Renowned as a trailblazing star on the court in her own right, WNBA luminary Sue Bird reflected on Russell’s passing and his profound influence on the game and the wider world in a recent interview with Landon Buford.
“When Bill Russell did pass it was incredibly sad, but also a wonderful time to remember all that he has done for the sport of basketball,” said Bird. “On the court, the world, off the court literally, and then the city of Seattle for sure. He has been a mainstay here showing support to the storm as well.”
“It was always wonderful to see him at (Seattle Storm) games and just see his face,” added the former UConn legend.
You want to talk about legendary athlete and athlete couples in the world right now?
How about Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe?
Rapinoe, of course, is the USWNT soccer legend who has won multiple World Cups and an Olympic gold medal for the United States. Bird, the former WNBA star, is a four-time champion of that league, a 13-time All-Star and a five-time Olympic gold medalist.
The couple got engaged in 2020, but they met before that in 2016 when they were both at the Summer Olympics. Since then, they’ve been together and celebrated each other’s accomplishments.
Having won five Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships, Sue Bird enjoyed an illustrious career before she retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Bird, who is teaming up with Corona, recently talked with HoopsHype about life after …
Having won five Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships, Sue Bird enjoyed an illustrious career before she retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Bird, who is teaming up with Corona, recently talked with HoopsHype about life after basketball, what LeBron James could be going through with retirement, what it’s like to play for over two decades, and more.
Lil Wayne and LSU basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson might collaborate on a track soon??
While talking with women’s basketball greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, rap legend Lil Wayne hinted that he’s going to be collaborating with an LSU star soon.
On ESPN’s The Bird & Taurasi Show, women’s basketball fan Lil Wayne shared that, thanks to LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, that he will be collaborating on a track with Tigers freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson.
Johnson just goes by “Flau’jae” for her aspiring rap career, one that Lil Wayne seems very interested in helping out in the studio.
“We’re about to connect musically soon,” Lil Wayne told the two on the alternate broadcast of Friday night’s LSU-Virginia Tech 2023 women’s NCAA tournament Final Four game. “Be looking out for that.”
Johnson’s future certainly looks bright on the court and in the booth, and it seems like she’ll have plenty of opportunities to pursue both in the days ahead.
One of the most time-honored traditions in Seahawks history is the raising of the 12th Man Flag in the South Endzone before home games. It is usually by a former player, a local celebrity, or a Seattle sports legend. In Week 1 against the Broncos, former Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright had the honors.
To kick off Week 3, the Seahawks are sticking with local sports legends with Sue Bird to raise the flag.
Today we’re recognizing one of the most prolific basketball careers ever. @S10Bird will be our flag raiser to kick us off! pic.twitter.com/IuT5ooBEGt
For twenty years, Sue Bird was not only the face of the Seattle Storm, but establishing a legacy of one of the best WNBA players of all time. Bird finally retired this fall, but her legacy will be in the collective memory of Seattle fans for decades to come.
Sue Bird finishes her professional basketball career as the WNBA’s all time assists leader and 7th all time in scoring. Bird claimed four WNBA championships, five Olympic gold medals, and four FIBA World Cup titles.
The Las Vegas star is doing things we’ve literally never seen.
Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.
In case you missed it, the Las Vegas Aces advanced to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night with a Game 4 win over the Seattle Storm. They overcome a halftime deficit and 42(!) points by Breanna Stewart to earn the 3-1 series victory and put a bow on the legendary career of Sue Bird, who had her own awesome moment.
At the center of it all was point gawd Chelsea Gray, continuing what has truly been one of the greatest playoff runs in WNBA history. Reminiscent of her Game 3 overtime heroics, Gray hit clutch bucket after clutch bucket in the fourth quarter, including the 3-pointer that broke a tie with around one minute left and the next basket to push the lead to five with 30 seconds left.
Gray finished the game with 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting, six rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in WNBA history with 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. And that’s just the tip of what she’s doing this postseason.
Through six games and two series, Gray is averaging 24.0 points on 62.6% shooting from the field and 59.5% from three. She’s also averaging 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals. No one has been that efficient while scoring that many points and averaging that many assists in the short history of the W. According to The Sporting News, her 74.7 effective field goal percentage would be the highest of any player to average 20 points in a postseason.
All this is coming from Vegas’ fourth-leading scorer during the regular season! Now, the Aces await the winner of Game 5 between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun on Thursday. And with a large thanks to Gray, they look very much the part of the favorites they’re supposed to be.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP
The WNBA playoffs aren’t the only hoops action happening right now. The group stage of EuroBasket 2022 is nearing a conclusion, and Luka Doncic put on an absolute show Wednesday against France to clinch the top spot in Group B for Slovenia.
And before you go calling it luck, my colleague Bryan Kalbrosky wrote that it’s not the first time the Mavericks star has pulled this off:
“Doncic, who scored 22 points in the first 14 minutes of the game against France, finished the first half with 27 points on 8-for-12 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
None were more impressive than the one-handed, running fadeaway jumper that he hit as the shot clock expired. It’s almost too much to comprehend.
But one aspect that makes it easier: Doncic has made a similar shot before. During his final game for Real Madrid before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, he made a comparably unfathomable field goal.”
Hey man, Doncic was already a problem. But if he’s gonna start making one-handed, running threes, we can all just pack it up.
Shootaround
— Speaking of Slovenia, one of the team’s players was injured on a tip-off after landing on a ref.
Nearly three months ago, Sue Bird, the greatest point guard in WNBA history, let the world in on a not-so-shocking secret — the 2022 season would be the final of her storied 19-season career.
The farewell tour came fast and went even faster on Tuesday night when the basketball community witnessed the end of one of the greatest careers in the history of professional sports. Las Vegas Aces eliminated the Storm from the postseason on their home court with a 97-92 victory in the WNBA Semifinals.
Wearing her No. 10 Seattle Storm jersey for the last time, Bird made her exit off the hardwood to an overwhelming amount of cheers from the Seattle fans. The send-off and the moments that both preceded and succeeded it are ones we’ll remember forever.
We present to you the best photos of Sue Bird’s final game day as a WNBA player.
