Bird Ready to Spread Her Wings
![]() Bird earned All-WNBA honors for the second straight season last year. Jeff Reinking/WNBAE/Getty |
Bird displayed composure beyond her years in playing through the pain, playing 25 minutes in 33 of 34 games (missing only on Jul. 20 in Minnesota, when the injury limited her to three minutes of action in a 69-58 loss to the Lynx).
Storm Coach Anne Donovan commended Bird for her effort at season's end, telling the media, "She showed incredible grit this season to play through her injuries, fight on night in and night out whether or not she felt good. She knew we needed her leadership out on the floor and her play helped us win games we could not have won without her."
However, Bird is excited about the prospect of a healthy season after undergoing surgery on her left knee last September.
"I am looking forward to that very much," she says. "Last year was definitely frustrating for me, because of my injury, and then for the team, because we didn't do as well as we would have liked. I think everyone is very optimistic about the coming year."
Bird's knee is not yet completely recovered from the surgery and she continues to rehabilitate it, but she was able to get on the court earlier this month as the USA Basketball 2004 Senior Women's National Team practiced in Cuba and played a series of three exhibition games with the Cuban National Team.
"(I was limited) a little bit at first," Bird says. "I had to get on the same page as my trainers, with the trainer there, and work things out, so I was definitely limited at first. Every day for me is a rehab day on top of the playing that we do. It's really been good for me."
Bird was highly honored to be named to the "core group" for the U.S. women's teams which will head to Athens, Greece, this summer. After playing for the U.S. team during 2002's FIBA World Championships, Bird was expected to get the call for the Olympics, but the official announcement on Feb. 5 was still very exciting for her.
"It was a huge honor," Bird explains. "The Olympic team is something that has been a dream of mine, a goal of mine. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity and really excited about being able to represent my country."
Houston Comets Coach Van Chancellor, who will again helm the U.S. squad during the Olympics - with assistance from Donovan, amongst others - was equally excited about having Bird on his team.
"I really believe that Sue Bird is a really nice fit for our basketball team," Chancellor said in a release. "After our experience in China, she has shown me that she is ready to step in and really be a contributing part of this basketball team and accept whatever role that the coaching stuff deems necessary for her to fit into."
![]() Bird is working her way back into shape with the U.S. women's team. Ray Amati/WNBAE/Getty |
"Every opportunity that we get to play with each other is just going to make us even better," Bird notes. "A lot of the girls, especially the older ones, they know how to play with each other. When you add in some of the younger players, there's some uncertainty there in terms of chemistry, so we're trying to figure things out. I think Cuba was definitely a great start and we saw some really great play as a team."
Rehab and U.S. team responsibilities have made it a busy off-season for Bird, but she has also managed to squeeze in signing a new multi-year contract with the Storm and purchasing a condo in the Seattle area, two signs that the East Coast native is putting down roots in the Pacific Northwest.
"The weather is much nicer," Bird says. "I'm starting to meet a lot of new people and get some ties on the West Coast, but even more specifically in Seattle. I'm really excited about my condo. Part of the reason I wanted to be on the West Coast (she did her rehabilitation in California) was that I could easily jump up to Seattle whenever I needed to get that condo stuff taken care of. I'm getting used to it out here."
By the time Bird reports to training camp next month, the main concern on her mind will be playing healthy basketball and helping the Storm back to the WNBA playoffs after missing them on a tiebreaker last season. Never one to focus on individual accolades, Bird is concerned about filling her role, and how that can help the team.
"My philosophy on that type of thing is that if I do my job, if I do what my team needs from me by taking care of the ball and running the offense and getting open shots, get the ball to the right players, get to the ball to Lauren (Jackson) - If I do my job, things are going to go well for us as a team," Bird explains. "With that will probably come individual awards, but I really don't put that first. I put the team first.
"I think last year we did a great job defending our home court, only lost a couple times at home. We want to maintain that, but then we need to become a much better road team. We really need to learn how to win on the road. If we can do those two things, our record will be better, our seeding will be better and we'll make the playoffs. The ultimate goal is to make the playoffs. Obviously, beyond that, to win the Western Conference. I think we have some lofty goals, but ones that are very attainable."