In the 20 days leading up to the 20th annual WNBA Draft, WNBA.com and @WNBA are highlighting the first 19 No. 1 overall picks and their place in league history. Our 20-day countdown continues with Sue Bird, the first selection in the 2002 WNBA Draft.

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With the first pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft, the Seattle Storm selected point guard Sue Bird out of the University of Connecticut. UConn dominated the top of the draft in 2002, accounting for four of the top six picks.

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Bird was the second straight No. 1 overall pick for the Storm, who selected Lauren Jackson the year prior. This dynamic duo vaulted the Storm from the lottery to a perennial playoff team that would win championships in 2004 and 2010. In her rookie season, Bird would make the first of her nine All-Star appearances and the first of her four All-WNBA First Team selections.

Bird is one of the best playmakers in WNBA history – she ranks second all-time in assists (2,215) – and has led the league in assists twice (2005, 2009). In addition to making plays for her teammates, Bird knows when to rely on her own offense with a knack for making clutch baskets when her team needs them. She ranks 11th all-time in scoring (5,087 points) and sixth in 3-pointers made (664).

Not only has Bird been a star in the WNBA – she is a member of both the All-Decade Team (2006) and Top 15 Players of All-Time (2011) – she is also a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist with USA Basketball and has won international titles in Russia and the EuroLeague.