Not many players can say they had a better career than Sue Bird. Bird played 19 seasons in the WNBA and accumulated a treasure trove of milestones under her belt. The only thing left to do was to soar high on her way out of the league. Her hopes didn’t go as planned, and some of the blame might fall on Jackie Young.
Advertisement
The 2022 WNBA season was bittersweet for Bird. The Seattle Storm legend decided it was time to hang up her boots, turning her final season into a farewell tour.
The entire Storm team rallied behind Bird, playing for more than just the names on the back of their jerseys. Seattle finished the season with a 22-14 record. Their efforts led them to the WNBA playoffs, where they defeated the Washington Mystics in the first round. The star-studded Aces awaited them in the semifinals.
Three years have gone by, allowing Bird to reflect without the competitive attachment to the series. Young made a guest appearance on the WNBA legend’s Bird’s Eye View podcast. Bird listed out Young’s accomplishments in her intro, but had one more thing to add to the three-time All-Star’s resume.
“You ended my career, do you know that?” Bird humorously asked Young. “My final play ever in the WNBA was a turnover because you stole it.”
The two exchanged laughter once Bird brought up the memory. Young didn’t want to play the role of a party crasher, but she had no other choice.
The play in question came in Game 4 of the Storm and Aces’ best-of-five semifinal series. Seattle was on the brink of elimination, facing a 2-1 deficit, as it tried to tie the series and force a win-or-go-home Game 5.
Time was running out, and Las Vegas had control of the game. Bird was looking to find an opportunity to score to cut the Aces’ lead. Young had the Bird assignment and didn’t relinquish her defensive chokehold, eventually forcing the turnover. Bird finished that game with four turnovers.
Losing the ball to Jackie Young isn’t something any player can hang their head on. After all, she is one of the best defensive players in the WNBA. In the annual general manager survey, she received the title as the second-best perimeter defender behind DiJonai Carrington.
Don’t get it twisted, Young was not the only one who came out on top in their matchup. Bird also has some firepower she can hold over Young for the foreseeable future.
“But my final points were on you,” Bird said to Young. Despite being 41 years old, she blew by the then-24-year-old. It isn’t Young’s most impressive defensive performance, but she gives Bird credit where credit is due.
Nonetheless, Bird doesn’t hold any hard feelings toward Young. That play doesn’t wash away the greatness she was able to achieve. Bird is a Hall-of-Fame player with four WNBA championships under her belt. She even earned a spot on the league’s All-Decade team in 2006.
