Did Sue Bird retire from WNBA? Looking at Seattle Storm legend's glorious career

The question "Did Sue Bird retire?" has been asked a few times and most casual fans aren't aware of the WNBA star's status regarding her career. Bird spent more than 20 seasons playing professional basketball and has earned her right to becoming a Hall of Fame player.

Shortly after the 2022 WNBA season, Bird retired, ending her 21-year career in the WNBA. She spent all 21 years with the Seattle Storm and the organization honored her for her contributions.

Bird played 31 games for the Storm in her last season. Although she didn't average much compared to her prime years, the 5-foot-9 point guard still earned an All-Star selection. She averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.2 assists for Seattle in her final season.

Her final game came after a loss against the eventual 2022 champions, the Las Vegas Aces, with a score of 97-92. Fans knew how much she contributed to the league and started chanting "Thank you, Sue". After the game, she talked about how she felt leaving the game as she handed the keys to the younger generation.

"It's sad. Obviously, so thankful for 20 years here, I'm gonna miss it so much." Bird said. "I'm not going anywhere, but I'm gonna miss it. I wish we could've done a little bit more to get to the finals, but I'm so proud of this team, this year. I'm so proud to be a member of the Seattle Storm. It has been my honor to play for this franchise, to play for these fans."

On June 15, 2023, Bird's jersey number was honored by the Seattle team by retiring her number. Number 10 was immortalized and was lifted in the rafters.

You might also be interested in reading this: Taking a closer look on the Steph Curry and Sue Bird commercial which went viral

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Looking at Sue Bird's accomplishments

Sue Bird is one of the WNBA's most accomplished stars and has left a lasting impact on women's sports. Her career started in 2002 when she was selected by the Storm as she was selected with the first overall pick. Since then, she started to rack up her accomplishments.

Bird is a four-time WNBA champion and a 13-time All-Star. She was on the All-WNBA First Team five times, the All-WNBA Second Team three times, and led the league in assists on three separate occasions.

Apart from her accomplishments in the WNBA, Sue Bird racked up international accolades. Bird won the Russian National League championship five times, the EuroLeague championship five times, and the EuroCup two times. Bird won the Olympic gold medal five times in her career as well.