Sue Bird is one of the most famous American professional basketball players who played for the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Talking about her achievements, she is a three time-WNBA Champion after being linked with the Storm. She has also won four FIBA World Cups, Four Olympic gold medals, and a five-time EuroLeague Champion. Now, visit her top 100 quotes that are listed below.
“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.”― Sue Bird
“Usually men, usually a guy, a casual fan of maybe the NBA and somebody who then watches the WNBA, their instinct is quick to kind of size us up or put themselves against us.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“The reality is, like, women’s basketball players are playing against women. And we’re all in the same boat the same way men’s sports is.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“Whenever you go up 2-0, you understand that teams are going to be desperate.”― Sue Bird
“Basketball is a short period of time, and you’ve got to take advantage of it.”― Sue Bird
10th of 100 Sue Bird Quotes
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“We’re going to have a moment. It’s coming: just that breakthrough that’s going to give us a cool factor, and more people will want to be a part of it. Because that, to me, is the only thing we’re lacking – that social thing: ‘It’s cool to go to a WNBA game.’”― Sue Bird
“Be kind. Be nice to yourself. You miss a shot, it’s OK.”― Sue Bird
“Homophobia hurts our league. Racism hurts it. Sexism hurts it.”― Sue Bird
“Soccer was actually my first love, but eventually, basketball took that over.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I have a whole journey – everybody does in life.”― Sue Bird
“I can be quiet and a little shy.”― Sue Bird
“As an athlete, as a free agent, you owe it to yourself to explore your options.”― Sue Bird
“When you’re losing, and you’re losing again, and you’re losing 3… 4… 5 games in a row, it can be frustrating.”― Sue Bird
“You hear about players like Jamal Crawford who’s constantly giving back. Isaiah Thomas, even though he’s from Tacoma, he went to U-Dub, and he’s constantly giving back to the community.”― Sue Bird
“People have this kind of different image of what Israel is and what it’s about. And yes, there are military people all over, but there’s so much more.”― Sue Bird
“Going to Jerusalem was an amazing experience… I spent most of my time in Tel Aviv. Gorgeous.”― Sue Bird
“I’m a worrier, an overthinker, and – if it’s your type of thing – a 3x WNBA champion.”― Sue Bird
“I love sneakers. My storage room is 75 percent sneakers.”― Sue Bird
“I kinda always felt like I am out, for all intents and purposes. So I always came from the standpoint of, ‘Why does writing it in an article or saying it in an article make me gay?’ That doesn’t make me gay or not. I’m living my life. I’m not lying; I don’t hide it.”― Sue Bird
“You kinda say, ‘Well, straight people don’t have to come out.’ I understand now that’s not necessarily the right way to look at it.”― Sue Bird
“I think just by the nature of getting older, I hope that I’m a smarter basketball player than I was at 23.”― Sue Bird
“The WNBA changed everything. It started in 1997, and I graduated from high school in 1998.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“Every great team has had to fail at some point in order to be successful.”― Sue Bird
33rd of 100 Sue Bird Quotes
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“At some high schools, you’re the star player, and everything revolves around you.”― Sue Bird
“I’ve always played in a team atmosphere.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“When you’re a point guard, man, if you’re not up to par, you’re in a lot of trouble.”― Sue Bird
“I love Russia.”― Sue Bird
“I don’t feel this overwhelming pressure to play or to ‘make money.’ That’s not my driving goal.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I don’t really see myself as a sneakerhead. I think I’m someone that likes to have a nice pair of shoes on when they’re playing.”― Sue Bird
“I really subscribe to the ‘look good, feel good’ mantra in terms of playing, in terms of getting out there.”― Sue Bird
“I’m a big fan of the Kyrie shoe.”― Sue Bird
“I like Air Max 90s; those are usually my go-to. I feel you can wear them with jeans, you can wear them with sweats, you can wear them with anything.”― Sue Bird
“I actually don’t consider myself that private. I know that’s how I’ve been characterized. That’s OK.”― Sue Bird
“’The Body Issue’ is celebrating athletes’ bodies, different sizes, different shapes… For me it’s a celebration, and it’s an honor to be in it.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“Seattle is my home.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“Be a gunner? Me? I don’t think I can do it. But I’ll go for whatever the assist record is.”― Sue Bird
“New York is like a melting pot: so many different people, so many different cultures.”― Sue Bird
“I like knowing where my teammates are without having to look.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I was probably 7 or 8 when I went to see the Bulls play and was able to see Michael Jordan.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
59th of 100 Sue Bird Quotes
“I always thought front office work, being with the team day in and day out, that was something I wasn’t going to get to until I was done.”― Sue Bird
“I’ve been really fortunate to go, and it’s exciting. You’re going to the White House. I remember first walking into the room to meet President Obama and the aura… It’s insane.”― Sue Bird
“I’ve had, like, 10 surgeries in my life: four or so on my knee, my hip and my nose a couple of times.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I’ve never felt as nervous as I did before a track meet – literally, stomach going crazy – ’cause it was just so difficult.”― Sue Bird
“The only thing that I’ve really noticed in my own experience is just people kind of saying that a woman, when they react to something exciting, ‘Oh, that’s a masculine way of reacting.’ And to me, that’s absurd. It’s like, that’s how humans – they get excited, and you yell, and you jump, and you flex. That’s what you do.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I’m not a good one-on-one player.”― Sue Bird
“Ten years from now, we’ll still be talked about as the first gay couple that ESPN had in ‘The Body Issue.’ You might not realize, in the moment, the impact that something like that can have. Every now and then, when you talk to people and hear the reactions, maybe we helped somebody.”― Sue Bird
“At the end of the day, you have to put yourself first.”― Sue Bird
“In my mind, women’s basketball players are an untapped resource.”― Sue Bird
71st of 100 Sue Bird Quotes
“Basketball is basketball, so from a strategic standpoint, having a players’ perspective is valuable.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I think, generally speaking as a player, when I hear the word ‘scout,’ it’s usually, ‘The Seattle Storm are playing the L.A. Sparks tomorrow; the assistant coaches are scouting the L.A. Sparks.’ And then they come to us and give a scouting report on the players and the team.”― Sue Bird
“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?”― Sue Bird
“People continue to put our league down. It’s because we’re women; that’s the fight. And it’s a majority of black women; that’s the other fight. But we represent America to the fullest. And it’s weird to me that people wouldn’t want to support that. I don’t get it.”― Sue Bird
“I have applied for Israeli citizenship, which makes playing overseas a bit easier.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
Top 25 Russell Westbrook Quotes
“In the past, I’ve told people to get me DVDs: like, the box sets of entire series. When you’re overseas and there isn’t much else to do, they can be great.”― Sue Bird
“I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend… These aren’t secrets to people who know me. I don’t feel like I’ve not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you’re not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it’s this secret. That was never the case for me.”― Sue Bird
“As for Seattle, we are rebuilding – no doubt about it. And in the WNBA, it’s not easy to rebuild. You can’t dangle millions in front of quality free agents.”― Sue Bird
“I’ve become really strict in a lot of ways, but I’m also very lenient. I’m kind to myself.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I’m not big on rookie hazing. I didn’t wanna be hazed as a rookie, so I definitely didn’t want to do it to others.”― Sue Bird
“There’s something about dominant teams that draws fans in. People like to see this; they like to witness dominance.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I think, overall, the name ‘The Storm’ in Seattle has just continued to grow. It has now become not just an afterthought that we have a WNBA team here: it has become a part of the ‘fabric’ of our sports society.”― Sue Bird
“I’m New York-born and raised.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I don’t know that I’m as conservative as portrayed.”― Sue Bird
“Nowadays, the difference between athletes is really small, and if you can get an edge, why not take it.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
93rd of 100 Sue Bird Quotes
“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.”― Sue Bird
“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.”― Sue Bird
“I don’t eat dairy, and I’ve been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten.”― Sue Bird
“I’m a big proponent of taking care of yourself.”― Sue Bird
“My best vacations have been in Hawaii.”― Sue Bird
“I think I’d really like to live in Israel. Even for someone like myself who is not that into religion, you go to Israel, and it’s breathtaking in a lot of ways.”― Sue Bird
“I read ‘Twilight’ when I was overseas. I actually liked it. I didn’t expect to, because I generally don’t like fantasy like that because it’s far-fetched, but I liked it. It’s pretty good.”― Sue Bird
“I’m probably, like, the nosiest person you’ll ever meet. Not in a rude way, but I like to be in the know.”― Sue Bird
