Bird Takes Flight

With just one spectacular season, rookie Sue Bird proved she's ready to take the WNBA to the next level

By Kesa Dillon

For more from Sports Illustrated Women, check out our November issue, on newsstands now.

Sue Bird   Vincent Yu/AP

Whatever happened to the days when rookies knew their place -- on the bench, awaiting their turn? If the debut season of WNBA point guard Sue Bird is any evidence, those days are long gone.

No one was surprised when the Seattle Storm, which had the first pick in the 2002 draft, selected Bird. The 5'9" star player had led the University of Connecticut's team to an undefeated season (39-0) and the 2002 national championship, along the way racking up such honors as the Wade Trophy, the AP and Naismith player of the year awards and an ESPY. "Being picked Number 1 made me want to go on the court and prove that I belonged there," says Bird, 22. "That the hype wasn't for nothing."

Expectations naturally follow players from a basketball powerhouse like UConn; but few Huskies have lived up to their promise. Bird, however, started all 32 games of the 2002 season, was voted a Western Conference All-Star starter and cracked the league's Top 10 in 11 categories, including free throw percentage (No. 1 with 91%) and assists per game (No. 2). She helped the Storm earn its first playoff berth in its three-year history, averaging 14.4 points and six assists per game. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist," says Bird. "But you also have to know you're going to make mistakes. It's how you respond to those mistakes that counts."

Despite the impressive stats, Bird insists her inaugural season wasn't a breeze. "The physicality, the strength of the players, the experience level that I was up against was much different than college," she says. The perfectionist adds that there's room for improvement. "I want to work on the fundamentals, like ball handling and shooting."

While she's at it, Bird has a list of off-court improvements, too. "We need to fly chartered," she says. "No more back-to-back games. We should have more TV games. And air conditioning in my apartment." Huh? "Contrary to popular belief," says Bird, "it gets hot in Seattle."

For more from Sports Illustrated Women, check out our November issue, on newsstands now.