Athletes

Sue Bird is a member of the U.S. women's basketball team that captured gold in the 2004 Olympic Games. Bird is the two-time All-Star point guard for the Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) Seattle Storm, with a career average 13.2 points, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game since joining the league in 2002. During the 2003 campaign, she recorded a WNBA-record seven double-doubles in points and assists. Bird handed out 10 or more assists in eight games that season, tying for the second-highest total in WNBA history. She also became the fifth player in league history to score 20 or more points and dish out 10 or more assists in a game, as well as the third player to amass more than 200 assists in a season (221). In her rookie season, she was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick, named to the All-WNBA first team, Western Conference All-Star team and runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award. Prior to her professional career, Bird had a phenomenal collegiate run as a member of the University of Connecticut Huskies. As a two-time All-American, she won two NCAA national championships (2002, 2000) and led the Huskies to undefeated season's (39-0). In her senior year, Bird was named the Naismith Player of the Year, received the Wade Trophy and was named Player of the Year by the Associated Press and U.S. Basketball Writers Association. She also earned the "Top Female College Athlete of the Year" ESPY, the Honda Award for Women's College Basketball Player of the Year and the first annual Senior CLASS award, which honors the best college senior basketball player in the country. She then went on to win her first gold medal with the 2002 USA Basketball women's world championship team in China. For her outstanding performance that year, Bird was presented with the Sportswoman of the Year (Team) Award by the Women's Sports Foundation. Throughout her college career, she amassed three Conseco/Nancy Lieberman National Point Guard of the Year honors (2002, 2001, 2000) and was a three-time All-Big East performer (2002, 2001, 2000), including being named the 2001-2002 Big East Player of the Year. Parade magazine named her to its 1998 All-America first team during her senior year at Christ the King High School, as she led her team to win a national championship. Bird was also honored as the New York City and New York State High School Player of the Year for the 1997-1998 season. (9/04)