Tag: Sue Bird

Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have reached …

Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have reached another historic feat after NBA 2K announced the two WNBA legends would grace the cover of the WNBA Edition of NBA 2K23. Taurasi and Bird embark on this moment together as they did back in college when they won the national title for Connecticut in 2002. From college to the WNBA, they both have had legendary careers.

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird named cover athletes for NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition

WNBA superstars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird will grace the cover of NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition.

The launch of the latest edition of NBA 2K is an exciting moment for all basketball fans, and the newest version of the game might be the most exciting iteration yet. Last year the franchise featured its first female cover athlete, showcasing Candace Parker on the front of the game. This year, 2K is back with two WNBA superstars.

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird will grace the cover of NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition. Taurasi is the league’s all-time leading scorer, a three time champion, and a five-time Olympic gold medalist. Bird, meanwhile, is a four-time champ and a thirteen-time All-Star with five Olympic gold medals of her own. Taurasi and Bird join Michael Jordan and Devin Booker as cover athletes for NBA 2K23.

Along with elevating the profile of the women’s professional hoops in the US, NBA 2K announced it is partnering with the WNBA to make a $100,000 donation to Every Kid Sports, a group dedicated to lowering financial barriers of entry to youth sports. The donation is aimed at helping 550 young girls and women across the US in registering for neighborhood basketball programs.

“It really is an incredible feeling to see your hard work memorialized on the cover of a game like NBA 2K23,” Taurasi said of the recognition. “There are so many kids that dream of pursuing a professional basketball career, and they can now also dream of being on the NBA 2K cover, whether they want to play in the NBA or WNBA.”

The WNBA Edition of NBA 2K23 includes special Bird and Taurasi bonus jerseys as part of the standard gameplay. Pre-orders of the game go live on July 7th, while the official release is set for early September.

[mm-video type=video id=01g79y5h4shc9ybjtyrq playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g79y5h4shc9ybjtyrq/01g79y5h4shc9ybjtyrq-db3bc3aece711dde216da54707c63641.jpg]

[listicle id=78404]

7 memorable Sue Bird moments to help you through the news of her upcoming retirement

We’re not crying, you are.

There has been much speculation over the past couple of years, in particular, over how much longer one of the WNBA’s GOAT’s Sue Bird would continue on with her playing career. But never any official announcement from the 41-year-old veteran. But on Thursday, that changed.

The four-time champion took to Twitter to officially announce that this 2022 WNBA season will be her final.

And though the message shouldn’t have come as a surprise, coming to grips with the fact that the game’s greatest players is just months away from hanging them up for good, is a bittersweet feeling.

There are so many memorable moments — far too many to include to shrink down into one post — but we’ll rewind time and take a look at some of the numerous highlights of Bird’s career.

Sue Bird’s career accolades are mind-blowing but this one stat is the most impressive

Bird announced the 2022 WNBA season will be her last.

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.

What’s up y’all. It’s Prince here for Layup Lines, and before we get into tonight’s Game 6, let’s talk about Sue Bird, who announced today she’s retiring at the end of this WNBA season. It’ll mark the end of a truly legendary career, so I pulled up a few stats to highlight how great she’s been, and man, these are truly mind-blowing.

Bird, who was drafted by the Seattle Storm with the first overall pick of the 2002 draft, leads the WNBA in all-time career games, minutes and assists. She’s also second in career 3-pointers, third in assists per game and top 10 in total points and win shares. That’s not to mention what the four-time champion has done in postseason and Olympic play.

The stats are incredible. And though she’ll inevitably be knocked down a few of those lists by the awesome players still active and the ones yet to come, she has 22 games left this season to continue adding to those numbers – starting Friday against the Connecticut Sun. And it’ll be fun to see which of her records stands the test of time.

However, the number I’m looking at the most isn’t the shiny all-time assists mark, currently at 3,114. That’ll fall eventually if someone like Courtney Vandersloot is able to match Bird’s longevity. And that’s why the games played number is the one I’m most impressed by. Not only was she great on the court, but she was always available – for 559 games and counting.

In her 17 seasons before sitting out in 2019, her missed 2013 season was the only other time she sat for more than seven games. Just last season, at 40, she played in 30 of 32 games. It’s LeBron-like durability. That’s why when she’s gone, it’ll be so weird. Because we’re just so used to seeing her out there, doing what she does best.

The only thing left to do now is appreciate the last few games of an awesome career.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Anyone watching the NBA Finals can tell Celtics big man Robert Williams is far from 100% out there. He tore his meniscus in March, and after having a procedure to repair the knee, he’s been battling through it to help his team win a title.

According to league insider Chris Haynes, Williams was told by the team that there was no risk of him making the injury worse. But as our guy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote, ex-Celtic Isaiah Thomas isn’t buying it after his own experience playing through injury.

“The guard was traded that offseason. After the trade, medical examinations revealed news about Thomas’ health so concerning that the move was nearly voided. He suffered a torn labrum and other injuries to his right hip that were exacerbated by playing through the pain.

He has admitted that he should have sat out the playoffs and that he made his injury worse by playing through it. Thomas, who later required hip surgery, couldn’t help but notice the parallels between his story with Boston and what may be happening to Celtics big man Robert Williams right now.”

It’s easy to understand why IT might be skeptical.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

Warriors (+130) vs. Celtics (+3.5, -160), O/U 210.5, 9 PM ET

I was on Warriors in 6 from the jump. And after the early portion of this series nearly caused me to flip on that pick, I’m feeling really good about it and think the Dubs close this thing out in Boston. I’m looking for Game 6 Klay to have an emergence in a game that goes over this total, because Boston won’t go out without swinging.

Shootaround

— NBA Draft prospect Ron Harper Jr. talked with BK about his mentality on the court.

— Looking for some NBA Finals player props? Our guy Cole Huff has you covered.

— Here’s the list of 20 prospects invited to attend the NBA Draft.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).

[mm-video type=video id=01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2/01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2-f458b62d1228747c2845b16610675fb4.jpg]

[listicle id=1911923]

Sue Bird is retiring after the 2022 WNBA season, and heartbroken fans are celebrating her career

The GOAT is calling it a career.

Sue Bird officially made it official: The GOAT is calling it a career. Thursday, the 41-year-old Seattle Storm star point guard announced on Twitter that the 2022 WNBA season will be her last.

The news of her impending retirement shouldn’t come as much of a shock to fans, but it doesn’t mean it stings and saddens them any less. She is, after all, one of the greatest players to ever hit the court.

Since becoming the Storm’s No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick in 2002, Bird has had a stunning, record-breaking career filled with too many accolades and trophies to list entirely. She’s a four-time WNBA champ (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020), and she’s the league’s all-time assists leader — a mark she broke back in 2017. She’s also a 12-time WNBA All-Star, and she’ll likely get to No. 13 this season.

Outside of the W, Bird is also a five-time Olympic gold medalist, winning in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and, most recently, in 2021 postponed Tokyo Games last summer, along with being a four-time FIBA world champion (2002, 2010, 2014, 2018).

Anyone who’s been able to witness Bird play, in person or on TV, knows how special of a player she is and how vast her contributions to the game have been. So after she announced this will be her last season, fans began celebrating her illustrious career while still mourning the end of an era.

Now, fans can hope she’ll end up in a broadcast booth, preferably with Diana Taurasi some day.

Sue Bird and JJ Redick on how the Boston Celtics finally broke through to the 2022 NBA Finals

Two great basketball minds discussed the Celtics’ surprise ascent to the league’s greatest stage in a recent podcast.

While the primary reason former University of Connecticut Huskies and current Seattle Storm star Sue Bird picked the Boston Celtics to go to the 2022 NBA FInals to square off with the Golden State Warriors was her friendship with Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, Bird likes what she sees in Boston.

“I … like the griminess of them, they grind it out” said Bird in a recent interview with host and former NBAer JJ Redick of the “Old man and the 3” podcast.  “They had a rough start, a very rough start” she added. “And I think a lot of people didn’t believe in it, didn’t think it could happen, turn around, that they were going to be worse than they were in previous years, only to finally stay the course.”

“A lot of it started on the defensive end,” added the Huskies legend. To hear more of Bird, Redick and pod co-host Tommy Alter sharing their thoughts on the Celtics in the finals and what got them there, check out the clip embedded below.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=video id=01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r/01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r-bf39b2c7b4b78a331ba733359f63f362.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=103649,103650,103610,103585]

[listicle id=103647]

[vertical-gallery id=103566]

[listicle id=103604]

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird had the best soundbite as the two debated over a call

This was a classic moment between Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

The Sue Bird-Diana Taurasi pairing is always golden. Such was the case when the two were teammates at UConn and for Team USA, when they teamed up on an ESPN Megacast for the 2022 Women’s Final Four and the 44 times they battled one another in the WNBA.

Saturday’s 45th game was no different. Both players competed hard throughout the game and found themselves tied up with one another late in the fourth quarter.

Taurasi had possession of the ball but Bird tied her up and the two struggled for possession until the refs blew the whistle.

Was it a foul? Was it a jump ball?

The two legends debated and the ABC broadcast picked up the dialogue.

Phoenix would gain possession of the tip but Bird perfectly defended Taurasi into a missed corner three.

Win, Sue Bird.

But Taurasi and the Mercury got the last laugh as Diana hit a big three moments later and then closed the game with two free throws to put it out of reach for a 69-64 victory.

Nonetheless, we got another classic Bird-Taurasi moment that’ll live forever.

[mm-video type=video id=01g3190p7q3x9h29ayg7 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3190p7q3x9h29ayg7/01g3190p7q3x9h29ayg7-4e46af11813d183fe1e45de2830c5c77.jpg]

[listicle id=1890543]

UConn alums Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird summed up first half against South Carolina perfectly

Taurasi and Bird couldn’t help but wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Coming into the Women’s National Championship Game, everyone knew UConn (three and a half-point underdogs at tip) would face a tall order to upset South Carolina.

Paige Bueckers was great, but Aliyah Boston and Co. were the top seed for a reason. They were the best team all year, and it’d be hard to see them fall short at the final step. For the most part, as the title game unfolded early, those pregame suspicions turned out to come true.

After one quarter, the Gamecocks held a staggering 22-8 lead. It was the Huskies’ lowest points scored in a quarter all year, and Bueckers was scoreless.

But the score alone didn’t tell the story of the massive discrepancy between the two squads.

How do you get just three rebounds in one quarter of a Championship Game? Oh, right, Boston and Brea Beal. But still! Three rebounds!

It wasn’t a stellar start for UConn, to say the least.

Former UConn greats, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird — hosting ESPN’s side-by-side Megacast for the second time in as many nights — summed up the Huskies’ start with one camera pan.

Arms crossed. Stoic looks. No jokes. No analysis. The UConn loyalty unsurprisingly still runs quite strong in these two.

If it’s any consolation for Taurasi, Bird, and the Huskies — they did go on a run to end the first half while cutting South Carolina’s lead to 35-27. It wasn’t all bad. We might have a close game yet.

But oh boy, was that first stanza rough on everyone in Connecticut.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).

[listicle id=1015983]

Million dollar WNBA deal?: Sue Bird thinks it will happen one day

WNBA legend Sue Bird connected with Analis Bailey on Sports Seriously and discussed what she hopes her lasting legacy will be to women’s sports. Bird believes a million dollar WNBA deal will happen sooner rather than later.

WNBA legend Sue Bird connected with Analis Bailey on Sports Seriously and discussed what she hopes her lasting legacy will be to women’s sports. Bird believes a million dollar WNBA deal will happen sooner rather than later.