Sue Bird – Long Island’s very own – was one of two WNBA all-time greats who this year delivered speeches at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts as well as the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year in Knoxville. Sylvia Fowles was the other.
Given the litany of accolades that Bird has obtained throughout her career, one may not think that Bird had too many problems “belonging” as she rose through the sports ranks.
A few of those accolades have occurred only in the last few months– including her having a street named after her in Seattle, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction and a statue of Bird being unveiled outside Climate Pledge Arena.
Except she did find issues with belonging throughout her career and life – as she eloquently and charismatically explained in her Hall of Fame remarks she delivered this past Saturday.
Swin Cash, Bird’s teammate at UConn and Geno Auriemma, Bird’s coach at UConn did the honors of welcoming her to the stage. In vintage Bird fashion, she got in a few lighthearted jabs at Auriemma about how much he would talk.
The overall theme of Bird’s remarks dealt with the idea of “belonging.”
I learned its importance early because no matter how tough the odds, I found my footing by finding my people. And sometimes, they found me.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Soccer was a huge part of Bird’s life growing up on Long Island – and, obviously, still is today given her life partner is Megan Rapinoe.
So, maybe I knew more at that age than I realized.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Nassau County native encountered the concept of belonging early given she had to play on a boys’ soccer team because there was no girls team.
Bird recalled a story of how her fifth grade yearbook asked students what they would be growing up. She predicted she would become either a lawyer, doctor or professional soccer player. In fact, she recollected that when these predictions were made there was no WNBA.
Throughout her life, Bird had individuals telling her that she belonged in basketball. She mentioned that she received an offer to tryout in AAU. Bird was part of the Liberty Belles AAU organization – one of the premier travel teams. Even though she was consistently told that she belonged in basketball, she still was not entirely sold given she was smaller than her teammates.
My dad used to call me ‘peanut’ because when I’d go to these national tournaments, I looked tiny standing among the other girls. But that turned out to be a gift too, because I couldn’t fall back on overpowering anyone physically.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
From fellow kids in her neighborhood that felt that she should be the first one picked for a team to a St. John’s security guard that wanted her autograph before she was even a teenager, Bird always had people who reassured her that she belonged on the court.
Another instance she remembered was while shopping for swimming goggles in Seattle a cashier would ask her last name. She said “Bird” and the cashier remarked “like Sue Bird.” The cashier then found out that it was the Sue Bird and that made her feel as if she belonged even if she was three time zones away from her native home.
Bird referred to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as the “ultimate place of belonging” and as the “ultimate capstone” because of the “Hall” portion of “Hall of Fame.”
Throughout her career, Bird had the opportunity to play alongside great players such as Lauren Jackson, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. She thanked the veterans she played alongside when she was first drafted by the Seattle Storm for making her feel as if she belonged.
As Bird got older – and as the Storm were going through a rebuild – Bird began to question if she would make another playoffs or win another championship. She also began to question if she still belonged in the game at her age. She credited coach Jenny Boucek with helping her “embrace her old lady game.”
Eventually, the Storm would draft another UConn great in Stewie and a rising star out of Notre Dame in Loyd and Seattle won two more championships in 2018 and 2020.
Bird eventually became one of the game’s elder stateswomen and embraced the role of wanting to make the younger generation feel as if they belonged as well.
Each of you helped this point guard get the most out of the chip on my shoulder in the game that values scoring above all, motivating me to prove people wrong and find my footing in whatever moment found me.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
At every step, it all came down to this, I couldn’t have found my place if I wasn’t lucky enough to find my people. Thanks for being the people who decided that in a ‘when-to’ game, it was always the right time to make me feel like I belonged.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
As someone who had plenty of assists throughout her career, it was the theme of her speech in Knoxville. It was only fitting that an ode to the hoops stat would be how she would close her Springfield remarks.
In other words, I’ll close with something point guards don’t often get to say – Thank you for the assist.
–Sue Bird, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
