Sue Bird Won the 2020 WNBA Championship and Made History

Back in 2004, Sue Bird won her first pro women’s basketball title, and with the Seattle Storm’s WNBA championship win, she became the only WNBA player to claim titles in three different decades so far. With Seatlle, Bird has now racked up four championship victories. As a point guard, she turns 40 this month, making her the third player in American pro basketball history to ever win championships in three different decades John Salley was the first, then Tim Duncan from the NBA). What’s more, Bird also became the second-oldest player to win a WNBA title. “Not many people can say that they did it in different decades, with the same franchise,” Bird said. “To re-create it over time and stay at a high level over time is something I’m especially proud of because it hasn’t been easy.”

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Bird has suffered knee issues throughout her career and missed out on the 2019 season due to surgery. ESPN reports then that she sustained a bone bruise to that same knee the year and played limited regular-season games. “I think the most difficult part about being an older player is when there’s that down physically, you start to question your abilities,” she said, adding that she believes she can still make a significant impact in the sport. Seattle coach, Gary Kloppenburg, describes Bird’s talent with wild reviews. “She’s just an orchestrator,” he commended after the team’s 2020 championship win. “She’s like a maestro out there finding open people and directing traffic.” Bird already set a WNBA finals record with 16 assists in the first game of the championship series.

Bird’s basketball career has been highlighted by two NCAA championship titles and four Olympic gold medals as well. She is a real basketball icon, and, ahead, check out photos from her most recent and very first championship victories.

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I Part of an elite trio of names that have managed to secure 24 All-Star Game selections (the highest of all-time), Willie Mays is widely considered as the greatest baseball player in the history of the sport. Dominant in both offense and defense strategy, the Say Hey Kid garnered 12 Gold Gloves, became the home-run leader and stolen base leader four times, was named NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP twice and was once responsible for hitting four home runs in a single game.

II Hammerin Hank is the other baseball player who succeeded in making 24 All-Star games together with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. Hank broke Babe Ruths record for the highest number of home runs made in the history of the sport a feat that remained untouched until the steroid era (and a lot would argue that it still is). His records for highest RBIs, additional base hits and overall bases are still currently the best, and he has managed to play more games than all but a couple of other players.

III One of the most popular baseball players to this day, the name Babe Ruth has been synonymous with the sport for decades. Renowned both for his clowning around and dominant game, Ruth lifted the New York Yankees to soaring heights, bringing them endless wins and doing it all with a charm and flair that is still copied by kids when they are up to bat. Boasting seven World Series titles, he was also an AL home run leader 12 times, AL RBI six times, and was even a superb pitcher in his career.

IV Ted Williams possessed some Godly averages at the start of his career, and it would have been even more unbelievable if he did not enlist in the military for the Second World War. Williams was the last player to bat more than .400 in one season and was selected as an All-Star 19 times in his career. He also achieved the Triple Crown two times (making him one of only two players to ever do so) and was raking in AL batting championships titles even in his 40s.

V Stan Musial is the third player to have appeared in 24 All-Star games, including 22 straight, and it would have been more if he did not enlist for the Second World War, just like Ted Williams. Musial holds the second most bases made in the history of the sport and has established records for hits, RBIs, at-bats, runs scored, and doubles throughout his career. Musial is renowned for possessing flawless consistency, and his swing continues to be the subject of study to this day by players in every level.

VI There are only a couple of players in MLB history that belong to the exclusive 4,000 hit club: Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. The latter succeeded in accomplishing plenty more than just hitting the ball a whole lot of times, setting more than 90 records in the course of his career (several of which still stand at present, nine decades following his retirement). Some of Ty Cobbs records include the highest number for stealing home and all bases in a series, the youngest to achieve 4,000 hits and 2,000 runs, and the best batting average in baseball history.

Sue Bird Won the 2020 WNBA Championship and Made History

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