Suzanne Brigit Bird, widely recognized as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, enjoyed an illustrious career with the Seattle Storm.
As of 2021, she is the only WNBA player to have won titles in three separate decades.
Her achievements extend beyond the WNBA, holding a front-office role with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and playing for three Russian teams.
Bird’s impressive record includes four WNBA championships, five Olympic gold medals, two NCAA championships, and four FIBA World Cups.
She is one of 11 women to hold all four honors.
She also clinched five EuroLeague Women championships and earned multiple All-Star and All-WNBA team selections.
Also read: Abe Lemons Quotes from American Basketball Player & Coach and James Harden Quotes from American Basketball Player
Fans have repeatedly recognized her as one of the league’s top players.
Bird, who holds dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, retired from professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season, concluding a career marked by remarkable achievement and dedication to the sport.
Best Sue Bird Quotes
In my mind, women’s basketball players are an untapped resource. ~ Sue Bird.
Every great team has had to fail at some point in order to be successful. ~ Sue Bird.
I don’t feel this overwhelming pressure to play or to ‘make money.’ That’s not my driving goal. ~ Sue Bird.
I actually don’t consider myself that private. I know that’s how I’ve been characterized. That’s OK. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m a big proponent of taking care of yourself. ~ Sue Bird.
I was probably 7 or 8 when I went to see the Bulls play and was able to see Michael Jordan. ~ Sue Bird.
I really subscribe to the ‘look good, feel good’ mantra in terms of playing, in terms of getting out there. ~ Sue Bird.
There’s been so many stories throughout the league where teams have started off poorly and ended up in the Finals. Or teams starting out great and not making the playoffs. ~ Sue Bird.
I have applied for Israeli citizenship, which makes playing overseas a bit easier. ~ Sue Bird.
Be a gunner? Me? I don’t think I can do it. But I’ll go for whatever the assist record is. ~ Sue Bird.
Seattle is my home. ~ Sue Bird.
When you have teammates just as talented as you, it’s kind of weird to get all the attention. ~ Sue Bird.
As an athlete, as a free agent, you owe it to yourself to explore your options. ~ Sue Bird.
You hear about players like Jamal Crawford who’s constantly giving back. Isaiah Thomas, even though he’s from Tacoma, he went to U-Dub, and he’s constantly giving back to the community. ~ Sue Bird.
Something I’ve been starting to use almost every day is a blood flow restriction system for my legs. It’s good for recovery and strength. ~ Sue Bird.
At the end of the day, you have to put yourself first. ~ Sue Bird.
Nowadays, the difference between athletes is really small, and if you can get an edge, why not take it. ~ Sue Bird.
Top Sue Bird Quotes
Since I’ve been five, people asked me if we’re related. It is usually the third question in the line of questions. What’s your name? Sue Bird. Oh, what do you do? I play basketball. Are you related to Larry Bird? That’s how it goes. I guess it could be worse, though, since he is a legend and all. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve never felt as nervous as I did before a track meet – literally, stomach going crazy – ’cause it was just so difficult. ~ Sue Bird.
I like Air Max 90s; those are usually my go-to. I feel you can wear them with jeans, you can wear them with sweats, you can wear them with anything. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m a big fan of the Kyrie shoe. ~ Sue Bird.
Basketball is a short period of time, and you’ve got to take advantage of it. ~ Sue Bird.
When I turned 30, the first question I got was, ‘How much longer do you want to play?’ And I don’t see why that can’t be when you turn 40. I really don’t. ~ Sue Bird.
Usually men, usually a guy, a casual fan of maybe the NBA and somebody who then watches the WNBA, their instinct is quick to kind of size us up or put themselves against us. ~ Sue Bird.
When you’re losing, and you’re losing again, and you’re losing 3… 4… 5 games in a row, it can be frustrating. ~ Sue Bird.
I think when you go through any surgery, your body changes. And with that, it can be probably the toughest mental challenge you’re gonna face. ~ Sue Bird.
I guess, technically, I went to a New York City high school, but I wouldn’t call myself a New York City kid. But I’ve played against city kids all my life. So that kind of instills something in you. ~ Sue Bird.
Whenever you go up 2-0, you understand that teams are going to be desperate. ~ Sue Bird.
I love sneakers. My storage room is 75 percent sneakers. ~ Sue Bird.
Famous Sue Bird Quotes
Going to Jerusalem was an amazing experience… I spent most of my time in Tel Aviv. Gorgeous. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend… These aren’t secrets to people who know me. I don’t feel like I’ve not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you’re not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it’s this secret. That was never the case for me. ~ Sue Bird.
I have a whole journey – everybody does in life. ~ Sue Bird.
Soccer was actually my first love, but eventually, basketball took that over. ~ Sue Bird.
Jay-Z, for a lot of reasons, will always be my favorite. But actually, in terms of what I listen to, it bends towards hip-hop, but I like everything. The only thing I don’t really love is country, but everything else I’m a huge fan of. ~ Sue Bird.
In the past, I’ve told people to get me DVDs: like, the box sets of entire series. When you’re overseas and there isn’t much else to do, they can be great. ~ Sue Bird.
As for Seattle, we are rebuilding – no doubt about it. And in the WNBA, it’s not easy to rebuild. You can’t dangle millions in front of quality free agents. ~ Sue Bird.
That’s how the WNBA is a lot of times. It’s being in the right place at the right time and fulfilling a role. All of us in some way, shape, or form are role players. We have to do what our teams need of us. ~ Sue Bird.
Whether I retire tomorrow or in 20 years, I just want to get as much out as I can. But with that, I have an understanding that basketball’s not forever. ~ Sue Bird.
I think I’d really like to live in Israel. Even for someone like myself who is not that into religion, you go to Israel, and it’s breathtaking in a lot of ways. ~ Sue Bird.
There’s something about dominant teams that draws fans in. People like to see this; they like to witness dominance. ~ Sue Bird.
A young basketball player has people to look up to an emulate. We are a pro league, and we’re on television. It makes a difference. It’s shows what’s possible. ~ Sue Bird.
Popular Sue Bird Quotes
New York is like a melting pot: so many different people, so many different cultures. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m definitely a ‘comfort’ player. As a point guard, I like to know my teammates, feel connected to my teammates, and flow with them. ~ Sue Bird.
The reality is, like, women’s basketball players are playing against women. And we’re all in the same boat the same way men’s sports is. ~ Sue Bird.
The WNBA changed everything. It started in 1997, and I graduated from high school in 1998. ~ Sue Bird.
I think just by the nature of getting older, I hope that I’m a smarter basketball player than I was at 23. ~ Sue Bird.
I am thrilled to be re-signing with the Storm. This franchise and city have been incredibly supportive throughout my career, and I am looking forward to getting back to work with my teammates. ~ Sue Bird.
Be kind. Be nice to yourself. You miss a shot, it’s OK. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve been really fortunate to go, and it’s exciting. You’re going to the White House. I remember first walking into the room to meet President Obama and the aura… It’s insane. ~ Sue Bird.
When you’re a point guard, man, if you’re not up to par, you’re in a lot of trouble. ~ Sue Bird.
A lot of us players, if you were to ask them, feel like they have to play overseas. Why? ‘Why not? Might as well do it while I can.’ For a while, I felt that way – I’ve got to make the most money that I can. Now, do I feel like I could still play overseas? Absolutely. But I don’t feel that pressure anymore. ~ Sue Bird.
Ten years from now, we’ll still be talked about as the first gay couple that ESPN had in ‘The Body Issue.’ You might not realize, in the moment, the impact that something like that can have. Every now and then, when you talk to people and hear the reactions, maybe we helped somebody. ~ Sue Bird.
I kinda always felt like I am out, for all intents and purposes. So I always came from the standpoint of, ‘Why does writing it in an article or saying it in an article make me gay?’ That doesn’t make me gay or not. I’m living my life. I’m not lying; I don’t hide it. ~ Sue Bird.
I like knowing where my teammates are without having to look. ~ Sue Bird.
Great Sue Bird Quotes
I thought that basketball and soccer were hard. And then I went to track practice. It’s just running and running and running. And my event was the 400 hurdles. I ended up qualifying for state. But looking back on it, track was hard. ~ Sue Bird.
I definitely eat carbs. I repeat: I do eat carbs. I’m just selective on which carbs I eat and when. I won’t eat things like pasta and bread at night, but in terms of fueling a workout and recovering from one, carbs are great. ~ Sue Bird.
You kinda say, ‘Well, straight people don’t have to come out.’ I understand now that’s not necessarily the right way to look at it. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m not a good one-on-one player. ~ Sue Bird.
There was no professional basketball for me in the United States when I was in grade school and middle school. I could look to the Olympics and college basketball, but that was only on TV for the Final Four. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve had, like, 10 surgeries in my life: four or so on my knee, my hip and my nose a couple of times. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve become really strict in a lot of ways, but I’m also very lenient. I’m kind to myself. ~ Sue Bird.
I can take care of myself. You’re probably never going to know if something bad is happening in my life. I think I was just made that way. ~ Sue Bird.
You can control what you put in your body, how you take care of yourself, how much you work. You have to control what you can. ~ Sue Bird.
For a lot of players, it’s not that they don’t want to play anymore or that they get tired of it or bored of it. It’s that their bodies give out. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m a worrier, an overthinker, and – if it’s your type of thing – a 3x WNBA champion. ~ Sue Bird.
I don’t really see myself as a sneakerhead. I think I’m someone that likes to have a nice pair of shoes on when they’re playing. ~ Sue Bird.
At some high schools, you’re the star player, and everything revolves around you. ~ Sue Bird.
I think, overall, the name ‘The Storm’ in Seattle has just continued to grow. It has now become not just an afterthought that we have a WNBA team here: it has become a part of the ‘fabric’ of our sports society. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m New York-born and raised. ~ Sue Bird.
Inspiring Sue Bird Quotes
I’m probably, like, the nosiest person you’ll ever meet. Not in a rude way, but I like to be in the know. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve always played in a team atmosphere. ~ Sue Bird.
The one thing you learn is when you can step out of your comfort zone and be uncomfortable, you see what you’re made of and who you are. ~ Sue Bird.
I love Russia. ~ Sue Bird.
My best vacations have been in Hawaii. ~ Sue Bird.
I’d love to have another chance to represent my country in the Olympics. If I’m healthy, absolutely… I’m very realistic when it comes to goals. I think it will all depend on my health. ~ Sue Bird.
I think it’s hard to compare the NBA and the WNBA, but the thing about the NBA is they just have a ton of movement every year, but the WNBA doesn’t. Free agency is not set up that way; the money is obviously not set up that way, so when one player moves, it could set the stage for, literally, like, six or seven years. ~ Sue Bird.
My high school class was the first one to know, during the college recruiting process, to know there was the option to play professional basketball, to know that the WNBA was there, and to know I better pick a school that is going to help me get to the next level. ~ Sue Bird.
All of the teams in this league that have won multiple championships, they didn’t come out the gate winning. Sometimes you have to take those hits to understand what it takes to win. ~ Sue Bird.
I’m not big on rookie hazing. I didn’t wanna be hazed as a rookie, so I definitely didn’t want to do it to others. ~ Sue Bird.
Inspirational Sue Bird Quotes
We’re going to have a moment. It’s coming: just that breakthrough that’s going to give us a cool factor, and more people will want to be a part of it. Because that, to me, is the only thing we’re lacking – that social thing: ‘It’s cool to go to a WNBA game.’ ~ Sue Bird.
I don’t know that I’m as conservative as portrayed. ~ Sue Bird.
I can be quiet and a little shy. ~ Sue Bird.
People have this kind of different image of what Israel is and what it’s about. And yes, there are military people all over, but there’s so much more. ~ Sue Bird.
I don’t eat dairy, and I’ve been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. ~ Sue Bird.
’The Body Issue’ is celebrating athletes’ bodies, different sizes, different shapes… For me it’s a celebration, and it’s an honor to be in it. ~ Sue Bird.
People continue to put our league down. It’s because we’re women; that’s the fight. And it’s a majority of black women; that’s the other fight. But we represent America to the fullest. And it’s weird to me that people wouldn’t want to support that. I don’t get it. ~ Sue Bird.
Going into your rookie year, whatever team does take you, and you get to camp, there’s going to be a lot of talent in that gym. You’re going to walk in a gym – and no matter what – there’s going to be a lot of talent. ~ Sue Bird.
A lot of my friends loved Pearl Jam, so whenever I’d hang out with them, that was usually what CD – not album – back then, it was what CD, maybe even tape, but what CD was playing. ~ Sue Bird.
There’s something nice about being part of a trailblazing group. It’s hard to look at myself that way because I look at Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoops and Rebecca Lobo and Dawn Staley in that way. ~ Sue Bird.
I’ve been on extremely talented teams that just don’t click, and I’ve also been on team with a little bit less talent, but they clicked, and because they clicked, they did better than other talented teams I’ve been on. ~ Sue Bird.
Homophobia hurts our league. Racism hurts it. Sexism hurts it. ~ Sue Bird.
I read ‘Twilight’ when I was overseas. I actually liked it. I didn’t expect to, because I generally don’t like fantasy like that because it’s far-fetched, but I liked it. It’s pretty good. ~ Sue Bird.
So these were the 93 top Sue Bird quotes and sayings on motivation, basketball, life and inspiration.
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