The Seattle Storm host the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night in a matchup of longtime Western Conference foes. The teams met in the playoffs a year ago and are currently battling each other for a playoff berth in the West.
Running the show for the Storm is four-time All-Star point guard Sue Bird. Bird is averaging 10.4 points and her 4.6 assists per game rank third in the WNBA.
The Storm and Sparks tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. But prior to the game on Tuesday, Bird sat down to answer your chat questions. Here's what she had to say.
Sue Bird: (3:02 PM ET ) When you have a player like Lauren Jackson or Janell Burse, our focus is to get the ball inside and work our way out. That's our gameplan no matter who our opponent is, and that will be our plan against the Sparks as well.
Sue Bird: (3:04 PM ET ) The All-Star game is always a time to show off a little bit and do some things. It makes it easier when you know you won't be taken out because of a turnover or a bad pass. So you'll have to tune in because I may have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Sue Bird: (3:06 PM ET ) You're right. Assists is always the first column I check on the stat sheet. So accomplishing something like that is exciting to me. To reach that milestone is great because it puts you with some of the all-time best players. But it's not all me, there's always someone on the other end, so I have a lot of teammates to thank.
Sue Bird: (3:08 PM ET ) I would pick Diana Taurasi, Lauren Jackson, Tina Thompson, Deanna Nolan and -- I don't know if I'd pick myself -- a point guard to be named later. Luckily for me, more than half of that starting five is on my team in Russia.
Sue Bird: (3:09 PM ET ) Good question. The hardest part is the weather and being away from your friends and family for so many months. But the best part is experiencing a new culture, attempting to learn a new language and the competition. Oh yeah and I guess the money isn't so bad either.
Sue Bird: (3:10 PM ET ) No matter what city we're in, my favorite things to do are shop, sleep and find good restaurants to eat at. For shopping, I like Houston because we stay near the Galleria mall. You can sleep in any city. For restaurants, you can't beat New York.
Sue Bird: (3:11 PM ET ) I decided to straighten my hair because I needed a change and even though you probably see me with my hair up, 90 percent of the time I actually do like wearing it down. So straightening it made it much easier for me. It was well worth it. Although I do miss the curls.
Sue Bird: (3:13 PM ET ) I think it's great. It's fun and it's exciting for women's basketball as whole because it's one of the first times WNBA players are being used. I've actually never played the game because I'm terrible at video games, but I've seen my friends play and it creeped me out because the voices were the same. So it was kind of weird.
Sue Bird: (3:14 PM ET ) We've had a slow start. We're right above .500. In order for us to make the playoffs, we need to continue to play as a team, and also try to get better every day. We have the talent. We have what it takes. We just have to do it.
Sue Bird: (3:16 PM ET ) Normally I'm very superstitious and don't like to tell people what I do, but for you, I'll make an exception. I don't do anything special, I just have a routine I stick to. I take a nap, have a good meal, I always shave my legs on game day. That's pretty much it. I get to the gym about an hour and 45 minutes before gametime and that's it. As you can see it's an exciting day.
Sue Bird: (3:18 PM ET ) The best thing about iPods is that you can put everything on there. Everything from Citizen Cope to R Kelly to T Pain, Brandi Carlile, and even some techno songs I picked up over in Europe. But the last CD I downloaded was Timbaland's Shock Value.
Sue Bird: (3:19 PM ET ) The best things that international players taught me were the curse words in their languages. But that always what foreigners like to teach, so it's not surprising.
Sue Bird: (3:20 PM ET ) (laughs) Yes, life is tough. Somehow I manage to stay humble. Maybe it's because she can kick my butt in ping pong.
Sue Bird: (3:22 PM ET ) Hey Jan, since you're from Kirkland I expect to see you at tonight's game. The best part about being a pro athlete is being paid to do something you love to do. Also being a female basketball player, I get to travel around the world and experience things your average 26-year-old wouldn't be doing. If I wasn't a basketball player I don't know what I would be doing.
Sue Bird: (3:24 PM ET ) Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and stopped by for this chat. Don't forget to tune in tonight to watch the Storm play the Sparks. Thanks for your continued support and I'll talk to you soon. Later.
