Sue Bird’s idea of retiring from basketball lingered for a few years. In 2016 that feeling intensified as the Seattle Storm committed to a rebuild, but she stayed to guide the team’s next generation. At the time, Bird was 35 years old and didn’t know how much time she had left to compete at a high level. However, adding a key player ahead of the 2018 season changed the Storm’s timeline. As a result, they won the 2018 WNBA championship, which holds a special place in the heart of the four-time champion.
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Bird appeared on the ‘In Case You Missed It’ Podcast. During her appearance, she was asked to reveal her favorite favorite WNBA championship. Initially, Bird seemed reluctant to answer, relating it to picking a favorite child. However, she had an answer in mind. The four-time WNBA champion said,
“The answer is 2018. I debated retirement in 2016 and 2017. It was getting closer and I knew it was on the horizon.”
The WNBA legend didn’t second guess her response, naming the 2018 championship as a personal favorite. She cited the improbable circumstances leading to the title as the reason for the choice.
Bird was at a peculiar point in her career. The Storm’s intention of rebuilding required her to shift her priorities as a player. She said,
“I’d also in 2016, signed up for a rebuild. So I’m at a point where I don’t know how much longer I’m going to play. I’m also at a point where I have totally resigned myself to helping the next generation of Storm players carry on the legacy, and it’s not about winning a championship anymore.
The Storm’s plan to rebuild was in full effect for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. They made the playoffs in both seasons but finished with records below .500.
Seattle’s remarkable 2018 run was a historic moment for the WNBA. Bird captured her third championship that year and would later win another in the 2020 Bubble. She’s the only player in WNBA history to win a championship in three different decades.
The missing piece for the Storm’s 2018 championship
Ahead of the 2018 season, the Storm signed former top-five pick, Natasha Howard. The 6-foot-2 forward didn’t live up to expectations leading up to her stint in Seattle. However, she was the x-factor that elevated that team. Seattle jumped from being the fifth team in the Western Conference in 2017 to first in 2018 en route to their championship.
Howard finished the season with averages of 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. As a result, she won the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year award and was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
Additionally, Breanna Stewart’s jump to superstardom elevated the ceiling of the Storm. Leading up to 2018, Stewart thrived in the WNBA. In 2017, she made the All-Star team as a sophomore. In her third season, she became league MVP.
Stewart averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while leading the Storm to the WNBA Finals. Her tremendous efforts earned her the title of 2018 WNBA Finals MVP.
Every team needs a little luck to win a championship, and that’s exactly what happened to the Storm in 2018. That unexpected luck and the unlikeliness of the championship is what makes it Sue Bird’s favorite.
