Sue Bird, the Seattle keeper, sat in her post-match video interview with a playful smile and a little comic side eye directed at her colleague Brianna Stewart, who threw green and gold Storm scraps of paper at her. Bird was thrilled to celebrate her fourth title after their 92-59 win over Las Vegas Ace on Tuesday in the third match of the WNBA Finals.

But there was also a touch of disbelief, after a tough season in the WNBA bubble in Florida during the pandemic. Bird has been in the league since it was number one in 2002, and I thought she saw it all, but this season it was like nothing nobody had seen before. The sheer magnitude of her achievement and the knowledge that her 40th birthday would be coming next week on October 16 made Bird feel passionate and philosophical while her pals danced and poured out champagne.

“Being younger, you talk about being there right now and you don’t even know what that means. But as an older player, I totally understand,” said Bird, and then tried to describe the environment. “Listen, there, it’s weird. No fans. Like the level of excitement – and because of the way the match ended in score, it was kind of like this – we didn’t really know how to react.

“So I think for me now, it’s a little bit – it’s almost surreal, shocking. I’ll be honest, even today in preparing for the match, thinking about it, I was a little affected by the idea of ​​a possible win. I have a feeling it will happen later, and for me as an older player.” I think it sounds more emotional than excitement. “

Bird became the second oldest female player to win the WNBA title behind the McWilliams-Franklin crown, who was 13 days away from turning 41 when she won with Minnesota Lynx in 2011.

This is the fourth title of the storm, connecting them most of the time with Houston (1997-2000) and Minnesota (2011, 13, 15, 17). But not all of the storm headlines came in close range of years. The previous times were in 2004, 2010, and 2018. Byrd is the only common denominator for them all, finishing her 17th WNBA season at the top again.

“I think the fact that I have been able to do this in different decades, and with the same privilege, not a lot of people can say it,” Bird said. “Recreating it over time and staying at a high level over time is definitely something that I am proud of, because it wasn’t easy.”

Bird underwent surgery on his left knee in May 2019 and missed all of the last season. She then injured a bone bruise in the same knee early this season, and was limited to 11 out of 22 games in the regular season.

“This is the only time I won’t be wearing sugar. It was tough,” she said. “So many twists, and so many failures. I think the hardest part about being an older player is when there is that physical aspect, you start to wonder if you can do it anymore. You start to wonder why you are doing it. You start to wonder what it is.” If it was worth it because it could be difficult. “

However, once the qualifiers began, Bird was completely responsible again, as if she wanted the years to fade away. Bird averaged 9.5 points and 9.2 assists in those six matches. Her 16 assists in the first game on Friday was the highest of her career, the WNBA Finals and a general post-season record. On Tuesday, she had five points and seven assists in a match decided long before the fourth quarter, which Byrd joyfully spent on the bench in an attempt to beat it all.

Bird won worldwide acclaim in the basketball world, including from Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James, who is also in his seventeenth season and is claiming his fourth NBA title.

“Getting LeBron to recognize me this way is clearly a huge compliment,” Bird said. “I think we’re two guys – you can throw Tom Brady and Diana [Taurasi] There are – the four of us are kind of in this privileged company of people who are closer to the end than the beginning but still able to make a big impact on the game. “

By combining college, WNBA, overseas tournaments, and international competitions such as the Olympics, Bird has celebrated championships all over the world. At WNBA, she first came before the colossal deception crowd at KeyArena in October 2004. Byrd was a few days after her 24th birthday at the time, and she admits that she believed at the time that title play would be a regular occurrence.

But with so much talent concentrated in a relatively small league, making the WNBA Finals is a challenge. The storm didn’t do it again until 2010, when it swept across the Atlanta Dream. As the third game in Atlanta ended, Bird jumped into the arms of teammate Lauren Jackson, who was the league’s best player that year.

No one at the time realized how close Jackson, 29, was to the end of her career with injuries. She would only play parts from two other WNBA seasons.

It took another eight years before Bird returned to the Finals in 2018, winning again in a sweeper, this time against the Washington Mystics.

UConn Geno Auriemma’s coach was in that match, and he continued to watch proudly as his former goalkeeper the star continues to win.

“For Sue, her amazing resilience as a player comes from her resilience as a person,” said Orima. “She is an incredible leader on the basketball court with epic proportions. As long as she has the opportunity to direct the team, they will find a way to win.”

Six years ago, Byrd questioned herself. She underwent knee surgery that cost her the 2013 season. In 2014, Storm’s team missed the qualifiers and coach Brian Agler left to take over the Los Angeles Sparks. Bird had felt physically weak that entire season, and she knew some people thought she was nearing the age of 34.

Byrd is committed to getting in the best shape of her life. She also decided to stay by the storm, instead of exploring options as a free agent.

Her belief in the organization paid off luckily, with Storm taking first place in 2015 (goalkeeper Jewell Lloyd) and 2016 (striker Brianna Stewart) who has become major contributors to the past two Storm tournaments. Stewart was Finals MVP in 2018 and again this year, averaging 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists this post-season, while Loyd averaged 17.8, 5.2 and 3.2.

“With Stewie and Jewell, their talent is really crazy,” Bird said. “They are the current generation, but they are also the next generation of the five, 10, 15, who know how many years.”

In recent years, Byrd has become more outspoken on many issues, including those relating to the LGBTQ community. In 2017, Bird appeared in public as gay and talked about their relationship with NFL superstar Megan Rapinoe – who was with Bird in the bubble in Bradenton, Florida – and the two became a popular spouse in the sport.

Seattle coach Gary Kloppenburg said of what Byrd means to the storm: “It’s her leadership on the field, but also how she developed as a captain off the field in defense of a lot of things to do and for a lot of progress that we have to make in this country.”

Social justice wasn’t just a trendy WNBA slogan this season; It was the bedrock of the bubble. Bird was a big part of the Vote Warnock movement, as players urged people to vote against one of the league’s owners, Kelly Loeffler of the Atlanta Dream, in a Senate race against Raphael Warnock. Loeffler’s comments questioning the League’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement alienated the players.

“The Women’s League, the Black Women’s League, the Gay Women’s League,” said Bird, who admitted that in earlier times she tended to stay away from anything controversial. “We kind of check all these boxes of people just left behind, or not get spoken of. So who better stands up and talks about these issues than those who are directly influencing?

“There was a lot on everyone’s board, and for a variety of reasons. What I came to discover is when in this world of activity and organization, there is this other energy that you spend. And then, oh the way, you have to be a basketball player too. For a lot of people, It was stressful at times. Everyone at one point had to hit “Wubble” [WNBA bubble] The wall and find a way to cross it. “

After Sue Bird appreciated pic.twitter.com/LlkKtOPrki

SportsCenter October 7, 2020

She did, and now has her fourth WNBA Championship. Bird hopes to at least play during the next year, as she can go to her fifth Olympiad.

“The way I feel now, if I can go outside of my season and continue to build on that in a good way, I don’t understand why I wouldn’t play next summer,” said Bird. “I’m not trying to be far fetched but as I’ve always said, things happen. That’s what the last two years have taught me. Anything can happen. So I’m cautiously optimistic, you know.”

“Throughout my career, I’m lucky in some way. My position and gameplay allow for longevity. I’ve never relied on speed, speed, or size, obviously. So as long as I kept adding more to my game from a mental perspective, I would always be able to stay grounded,” Assuming the physical part stays with me too. “

Auriemma takes credit for Bird’s determination and willpower.

Auriemma said, “Soo’s discipline is,” I want to win trophies every year I’m in the league. I will give up all the things that make me unable to do it. ”“ This is unusual, but this is how it lasts. ”

Sure, Byrd said, it’s way beyond the extra piece of cake or the wine glass. She diligently maintained her exercise and sleep schedule. She has withstood the pain and monotony of the traumatic rehabilitation.

For someone who never speaks to her greatness, who always frames her as part of the team effort of everyone around her – her teammates, coaches, royalty, and fans – Bird has reached its peak with a few athletes in any professional sport.

“There are definitely sacrifices to make,” said Bird. “There is a certain lifestyle that I feel committed to. But I don’t see it giving up on something, because you get in return.”