Professional women’s basketball player Sue Bird announced on social media that 2022 will be her last year playing in the WNBA.
The 41-year-old Seattle Storm player is one of the most decorated female basketball players of all time and has also played a total of 19 seasons with the WNBA, more than any player in the organization’s history. However, after an incredibly successful career, Bird has decided to call it quits.
“I’ve decided this will be my final year,” the athlete wrote on Instagram. “I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year just like this little girl played her first #TheFinalYear.”
In her farewell address, she included a video of fans chanting “one more year” and a throwback photo of her on the basketball court in her teenage years.
In addition to Instagram, Bird included a video explanation of her retirement on the Seattle Storm Twitter page. “So obviously when I entered this season I tried to be as honest as possible about where I was,” she said.
Continuing, she relayed, “I kind of knew that this was gonna be my last year but I wanted to be for sure about it before I announced retirement and did anything like that, that was so final. As the season has gone, I pretty much knew.”
Sue Bird on her ‘bittersweet’ New York-based last game
Bird also recognized her roots as a New York native and explained her desire to pay homage to her origin state by making the announcement before her team faces the New York Liberty on Sunday. She commented, “Once I saw the schedule and I started packing for this trip a little bit, I was like ‘This is gonna be my last time playing in New York. This is my last time playing for my family and friends.’ That’s why the timing of this is what it is.”
Bird included the sentiments, “I just really felt strongly about announcing my retirement, saying it was my last year, so I could share that with my family and my friends, all the people in New York who have watched me grow up, so they could come and see me play for the last time in my home state. So I’m excited about that. It’s also bittersweet, of course.”
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