Bird says she’ll retire this year

Always in control on the court, Sue Bird lasted about 10 minutes until the emotion of the moment and the finality of the decision got the best of her.

After 21 professional seasons, one of the greatest basketball careers ever is nearing its end.

“I feel like I’ve played as long as I can at a really high level both physically and mentally, and it’s just gotten harder,” Bird said, fighting through tears.

The Seattle Storm star and five-time Olympic gold medalist announced Thursday the 2022 season will be her last playing in the WNBA.

The announcement by Bird, 41, ended any speculation about her future. She had acknowledged in February when she re-signed with Seattle that this would likely be her final season, having strongly considered retirement after last season before choosing to return.

Bird’s announcement came a day before Seattle’s game at Connecticut, the state where she was a collegiate star and national player of the year. The Storm will close out their road trip on Sunday in New York City, about 30 miles from where Bird grew up in Syosset, New York.

It’s Seattle’s only scheduled trip to New York this season, which helped prompt her announcement.

“Knowing it was going to be my last game in New York is really what started the thought process around announcing that this would be my last year,” Bird said. “So that’s kind of the how and the when. That was the motivating factor on the timing. And I feel like for every athlete, sometimes it really just comes down to you know when you know. There isn’t necessarily a recipe for it. You just know when you know.”

Bird is a four-time WNBA champion, 12-time All-Star and the oldest player in the league. She has spent her entire WNBA career with Seattle since becoming the No. 1 draft pick in 2002 following her storied college career with the Huskies. This season is her 21st associated with the franchise although just her 19th playing after missing two seasons because of injuries.

Her resumé is the envy of anyone in professional sports, let alone basketball. National championships with the Huskies in 2000 and 2002. WNBA titles with Seattle in 2004, 2008, 2018 and 2020.

Bird earned five additional titles playing overseas in the EuroLeague. Last year, she added a fifth Olympic gold in Tokyo to go along with the ones the United States earned in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bird was the AP national player of the year her final college season. She is a fivetime All-WNBA first-team selection, the league’s all-time leader in assists and the only player to appear in more than 500 games in league history.

She has been honored on every list imaginable as one of best and most influential players in the history of the league. And she’s the standard by which other point

guards are judged.