Published 12:46 IST, October 7th 2020
Sue Bird becomes third player in WNBA and NBA history to win titles in 3 different decades
With Seattle Storm being crowned WNBA champions, Sue Bird became just the third player in NBA and WNBA history to win titles in three different decades.
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Seattle Storm completed their impressive three-game sweep, winning the 2020 WNBA title. The WNBA Finals 2020 victory created several individual and team records. By becoming the WNBA champions, Storm tied the Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx for most league titles in history. Amongst the individual records, the most impressive accolade fell to none other than Sue Bird, who became the third person in WNBA or NBA history to achieve that feat.
Sue Bird achieves historic milestone
The legendary point guard has been an ever-present when it comes to the success Seattle Storm has seen since the turn of the century. Sue Bird has been part of all four championships won by Seattle Strom, achieving the feat in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020. By becoming the WNBA champions this year, Sue Bird also became the first player in WNBA history to win titles in three different decades. For comparison, the same feat has been achieved just twice in NBA history, notably by Tim Duncan and John Salley.
Sue Bird’s impressive performance in WNBA Finals 2020
While Sue Bird has been plagued with injury troubles in recent years, the veteran certainly saved her best for the WNBA Finals 2020. In Game 1, Sue Bird set a WNBA playoff and Finals record as she registered a career-high 16 assists. During the Aces vs Storm games, Sue Bird notched up some of her best numbers. The 39-year-old averaged 11 assists, tying Nikki Teasley for the highest assist average in Finals history. Overall, the 9.2 assists per game record was the best postseason mark of her illustrious career.
Into her 17th season now, Sue Bird’s game management during Aces vs Storm was there for everyone to see. While she scored just 23 points in the series, she efficiently controlled the tempo of the game with her playmaking ability. After the game, Sue Bird admitted that the campaign in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was something she had never experienced before.
Talking about her record, Sue Bird said that the fact she was able to achieve the feat with the same franchise in different decades is not something many people can boast of. The icon stated that the record is something she is proud of, as she conceded that it wasn’t easy maintaining consistency at the highest level of the game.
Image Credit: Seattle Storm Instagram
12:45 IST, October 7th 2020