68 Sue Bird Quotes On Basketball, Success, Confidence, Teamwork & Life

motivational quotes Jan 27, 2024

The top Sue Bird quotes:

Sue Bird is a retired professional basketball player who is widely known as one of the greatest point guards in the history of women's basketball.

She played 19 seasons with the Seattle Storm who drafted her as the first overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft out of UConn.

Bird is a four-time WNBA champion and thirteen-time All-Star. She also won four Olympic gold medals with the United States women's basketball team in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

She holds the record for the most assists in WNBA history.

Besides her passing and unselfishness on the court, Bird is known for her leadership and for being a role model to young aspiring basketball players.

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Best Sue Bird Quotes About Basketball

1. "When you're losing, and you're losing again, and you're losing 3... 4... 5 games in a row, it can be frustrating."

2. "I think just by the nature of getting older, I hope that I'm a smarter basketball player than I was at 23."

3. "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."

4. "When you're a point guard, man, if you're not up to par, you're in a lot of trouble."

5. "Be a gunner? Me? I don't think I can do it. But I'll go for whatever the assist record is."

6. "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."

7. "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."

8. "The WNBA changed everything. It started in 1997, and I graduated from high school in 1998."

9. "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."

10. "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."

11. "Basketball is a short period of time, and you've got to take advantage of it."

12. "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."

13. "As an athlete, as a free agent, you owe it to yourself to explore your options."

14. "I think when you're a kid coming out of college, you're just kinda going with the flow. You don't really understand what's happening around you - you're just out there playing basketball - but now that I'm older and I see where the league has come in my 15 years, it's pretty cool to have witnessed it."

15. "I'll play until my knees fall off."

16. "Basketball is basketball, so from a strategic standpoint, having a players' perspective is valuable."

17. "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."

18. "Soccer was actually my first love, but eventually, basketball took that over."

19. "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."

20. "I'm not a good one-on-one player."

Sue Bird Quotes About Success And Winning

21. "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."

22. "At some high schools, you're the star player, and everything revolves around you."

23. "Every great team has had to fail at some point in order to be successful."

24. "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."

25. "Obviously, talent speaks for itself, so, yeah, you got to go in there, and you got to play well. You got to play your game, but that's kind of the easy part in some ways."

26. "There's something about dominant teams that draws fans in. People like to see this; they like to witness dominance."

27. "Nowadays, the difference between athletes is really small, and if you can get an edge, why not take it."

28. "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."

29. "To be successful, you have to expose yourself to different situations-different styles of play, different teammates, different coaching."

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Teamwork Quotes By Sue Bird

30. "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."

31. "I've always played in a team atmosphere."

32. "I like knowing where my teammates are without having to look."

33. "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."

34. "I think when you've played in a league for as long as I have, it would be foolish for a coach not to ask a player with that kind of knowledge about other players. A lot of this goes beyond the court. Are they a good teammate? Are they good in the locker room? What's their attitude like? Do they work hard?"

35. "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."

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Sue Bird Quotes About Confidence And Attitude

36. "I don't feel this overwhelming pressure to play or to 'make money.' That's not my driving goal."

37. "At the end of the day, you have to put yourself first."

38. "Be kind. Be nice to yourself. You miss a shot, it's OK."

39. "I like pressure. I thrive on it."

40. "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."

41. "I really subscribe to the 'look good, feel good' mantra in terms of playing, in terms of getting out there."

42. "I'm a big proponent of taking care of yourself."

43. "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."

44. "As quickly as you can go 4-1, you can go 1-4. And the whole objective is not to get too high and not to get too low. It's one thing to tell somebody that and explain it, but it's another thing to really buy in, to have felt that and understand what it means to stay even-keel. That's what you have to be in this league."

45. "I can be quiet and a little shy."

46. "I've become really strict in a lot of ways, but I'm also very lenient. I'm kind to myself."

47. "I'm a worrier, an over-thinker, and - if it's your type of thing - a 3x WNBA champion."

48. "I'm probably, like, the nosiest person you'll ever meet. Not in a rude way, but I like to be in the know."

49. "In my mind, women's basketball players are an untapped resource."

50. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but you have to know you're going to make mistakes. It's how you respond to those mistakes that counts."

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Sue Bird Quotes About Life

51. "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."

52. "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."

53. "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."

54. "I have a whole journey - everybody does in life."

55. "I actually don't consider myself that private. I know that's how I've been characterized. That's OK."

56. "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."

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Sue Bird On Health, Diet, And Recovery

57. "I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken, and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then."

58. "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."

59. "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."

60. "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."

61. "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."

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Other Sue Bird Quotes

62. "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."

63. "When you have teammates just as talented as you, it's kind of weird to get all the attention."

64. "I love sneakers. My storage room is 75 percent sneakers."

65. "Seattle is my home."

66. "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."

67. "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."

68. "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."

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