The Storm will face the Las Vegas Aces, who completed a sweep over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, in a rematch of Seattle's 2020 Finals sweep. In fact, Seattle is unbeaten in the semifinals and WNBA Finals during Bird's career, winning titles all four times the team has advanced that far. The previous two trips resulted in championships in 20. With the win, the Storm advance to the semifinals for the third time since 2018. Washington would never seriously threaten the rest of the game. The 10th assist for Bird came on a drop-off to Tina Charles in the paint with 2:17 remaining that pushed Seattle's lead to 11 points. She handed out seven assists in the second and third periods combined. Not overdo it - I think there's a balance there - but you definitely have to do it."įrom the second quarter onward, Bird's playmaking took center stage. "You have to be aggressive in those moments. "This was a team that if they weren't switching pick-and-rolls when I was in them - mostly when Stewie was setting them - they were going under," Bird explained.
To Bird, that was a product of how she was being defended. "We know that she can facilitate, that's always going to happen," Quinn said, "but the points need to come early and often for her." Quinn encouraged that aggressiveness from Bird. According to, just three NBA players have had a playoff double-double in their 40s: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the only player to do it at an older age than Bird), Karl Malone and John Stockton.Īfter recording two assists Thursday in the narrow 86-83 Game 1 victory, when she frequently played off the ball, Bird had one in the first quarter Sunday while scoring nine points - her most in an opening period this season. You see her just kick a different gear mentally and physically."īird already had held the record as the oldest WNBA player with a double-double in the postseason, having done so at 39 during the Storm's 2020 WNBA Finals win over the Las Vegas Aces. "There's something about these moments that makes me understand why she's so great. "Vintage Sue," Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said. Both totals were high marks this season for Bird. SEATTLE - In her final postseason, Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird at age 41 became the oldest player in WNBA history to record a playoff double-double with 18 points and 10 assists Sunday in the 97-84 victory to sweep the Washington Mystics.
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