Legendary basketball star Sue Bird has been chosen as flag bearer for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, along with baseball player Eddy Alvarez, who earned a silver medal in Sochi as a speed skater. Joining TODAY live, Bird calls the honor “mind-blowing” and says that when she told her fiancée, soccer gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, “she already knew about Sue Bird becoming Olympic Flag Bearer!”
Sue Bird games
In her 17 seasons, Sue Bird Olympic Flag Bearer has played 16,430 regular-season minutes and 519 games — both WNBA records. Her 2,888 assists entering the 2021 season is also a record and nearly 300 more than previous record-holder Ticha Penicheiro. She ranks third all-time in three-pointers made with 878 and eighth in scoring at 6,262 points, one point shy of Hall of Famer and former Olympic teammate Lisa Leslie.
Sue Bird opinion
“I don’t even know if I’ve fully digested it yet,” Sue told the Washington Post. “It was pretty shocking when I heard. The thought of other athletes being the ones to pick the flag bearers, being the ones that chose myself and chose Eddy, makes the honor that much more special—but also that we’ll be leading the entire USA delegation into Opening Ceremonies. There’s something really special, and I know firsthand because I got to be right behind Dawn when she did it in 2004.”
Sue Bird WNBA
The Seattle Storm selected Bird with the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA draft.[4] She would play alongside superstar Lauren Jackson who was also drafted first overall the year before. In her rookie season, Bird started all 32 games for the Storm and averaged 14.4 ppg. She was selected as a starter on the 2002 WNBA Western Conference All-Star team. Bird was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, and one of only two rookies to make the All-WNBA First Team.[4] Both Bird and Jackson led the Storm to their first playoff appearance. During her first year in the league, Bird scored a career-high 33 points in a regular-season game against the Portland Fire. Since her rookie season she has continuously been selected to the Western Conference All-Star team.
Sue Bird Olympic Flag Bearer Medals
Gold Medals: 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games; 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIBA World Cups; 2007 FIBA Americas Championship; 2000 R. William Jones Cup.
Bronze Medal: 2006 FIBA World Cup.
International Invitationals: 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational (gold), 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament (gold), 2007 FIBA World League Tournament (silver), 2002 Opals World Challenge (gold).
Is 142-6 all-time in USA Basketball games played.
Named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team on June 21, 2021.
Sue Bird Titles
Drafted: No. 1 in 2002 by the Seattle Storm.
WNBA titles: 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020.
All-WNBA first team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2016.
All-WNBA second team: 2008, 2010, 2011.
All-Star WNBA: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 (injured), 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021.
Assists leader WNBA: 2009, 2016.
All-Decade Team WNBA: 1997-06.
Top 15 Players in WNBA History (15th Anniversary Team): 2011.
WNBA Top 20@20: 2016.
WNBA Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: 2011 (shared with Ruth Riley), 2017, 2018.
Euro League titles: 2007-10, 2013.
Euro League All-Star Games: 2008, 2011.