Sue Bird confessed that it was like something out of a fairy tale. It seemed only natural that she hit the final shot in her final regular-season game in her hometown of New York. On Sunday, the league’s all-time assist leader hit a game-winning 3-pointer to give the Seattle Storm an 81-72 victory over the New York Liberty.
Sue Bird Seals Storm’s Victory Over Liberty In The New York Finale
Bird, who holds the record for most assists in the league, said on Thursday that she would retire at the end of the 2022 season.
She was born and raised on Long Island, around an hour’s drive from the Barclays Center. With 18.9 seconds remaining on the shot clock, Bird received the ball on the wing and held her follow-through to the delight of the spectators, who gave her a standing ovation as she exited the game.
Bird joked about keeping her hand up since it was jumping about, and she knew it needed it.Bird was recognized with a four-minute pregame video tribute from the Liberty, and former teammates Sami Whitcomb and Natasha Howard presented her with a blazer and jersey with every New York team sewed onto them. “Thank You, Sue,” read the jerseys worn by the New York players.
While warming up an hour before the game, they sang “Love, New York.” “That was a unique thing for New York to accomplish,” Bird added. “This could not have been written any better by me.” It’s been a fantastic day.” Bird needed roughly 100 tickets for her final game in New York, which she wanted to see with her family and friends. Her mother, Nancy, was among the audience, which was one of the largest of the season.
She had a quiet first half, scoring two points, three assists, and grabbing two rebounds as Seattle led 37-37 at halftime. The game was close throughout, and Seattle (10-6) led 75-72 with 53.3 seconds remaining on the clock when Williams scored a 3-pointer from the wing following a scramble for the ball.
Bird then nailed her final shot 35 seconds later. Marine Johannes led New York with a career-high 23 points (6-10).
DiDi Richards returned from a right hamstring injury to participate in her second game of the season. Midway through the first quarter, she checked in. Richards ended the game with one point and four rebounds after playing 13 minutes.
Bird was a member of Team USA in the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain, where they won the gold medal by defeating Australia 73–56. By winning the gold medal, Bird became the first player in history to win four World Cup gold medals, male or female.
Bird finished the final with five assists, bringing her career total to 107 in the FIBA World Cup, becoming her the all-time leader in assists for the United States.
Bird and Eddy Alvarez, a baseball player, were chosen as the flag carriers by their teammates. The accolade was described as “mind-blowing” by Bird. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Games have been postponed till 2020.
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