Sue Bird
At the heart of every championship, at the center of every successful team, there is that one leader who stands out above the rest. The one who makes the big play. The one who elevates the talent and ability of those around her. The one who brings a group of individuals together to form a team in search of a shared goal. On every team she ever played on, Sue Bird was that leader. For Bird, winning was always about intentionality. Her emotional IQ combined with her basketball IQ to form a winner at every stop. Bird led the Connecticut Huskies to two NCAA national titles, the second coming in 2002 when the two-time All-America won the Wade Trophy, the Naismith College Player of the Year, and AP National Player of the Year awards. In the WNBA, the number one draft pick played 19 seasons in Seattle. There, she added four more championships, 13 All-Star appearances, eight All-WNBA honors, and became the all-time leader in assists. A five-time Olympic gold medalist, Bird is one of the most decorated athletes in history.
