Sue Chicken announces return for

The group received. One extra year it is. 

Four-time WNBA winner Sue Bird introduced she will return for a different time, her 19th participating in in the WNBA and 21st since being drafted, in an Instagram put up on Friday. Absolutely free agency commences a week from Saturday. 

The Seattle Storm, the only team Chicken has at any time played for skillfully in the states, celebrated the return with their personal graphic, composing “Let us GOOOOOO” with a goat emoji. Within hrs they experienced deleted it, presumably due to the fact free of charge company has not opened and it would be considered as tampering with a free agent. 

The group included the celebrity place guard in their graphic announcing the team’s residence opener and agenda late previous calendar year, only to delete it when enthusiasts speculated that it intended Bird would return. 

Retirement severely in the playing cards for Chicken

Retirement has been on fans minds for a number of seasons now, but never ever so substantially as this a single just after the 5-way too-9 superstar position guard admitted she was very seriously pondering it. 

“This is the initial time in which I am seriously heading to have to sit back, see how I truly feel, weigh some issues,” Fowl, 41, advised reporters just after the Storm’s decline in the second spherical of the playoffs. “I know for absolutely sure that I want to allow the emotion of the time die down. I really don’t want to make some psychological decision.”

Enthusiasts chanted “a person much more 12 months” right after the buzzer of the Storm’s playoff visual appearance as Chicken and longtime Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi swapped jerseys and stood at middle courtroom alongside one another for quite possibly the final time. The Storm won the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup, but fell to the No. 4 seed with a 21-11 history beset by injuries. 

In an physical appearance on ESPN’s “Manningcast” past drop, she didn’t tip her hand but did say participating in at Seattle’s freshly renovated Local climate Pledge Arena was tempting. It was previously KeyArena, but the Storm performed at alternate venues even though it was renovated to host ice hockey. She created her initial stop by as a guest for the Seattle Kraken’s to start with-ever game at the location in October. 

Story carries on

Fowl has played on one particular-calendar year contracts in former seasons and was underneath a $221,450 supermax salary in 2021. She is presently an unrestricted absolutely free agent and cannot negotiate a deal with the Storm right up until the time period officially opens on Jan. 15. Gamers can then signal on Feb. 1. 

Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd are also unrestricted free of charge brokers as of Jan. 1. 

Bird’s famous WNBA occupation

Bird invested her overall occupation with the Storm and is the only WNBA or NBA player to earn a championship in every single of a few many years. She served Seattle to the prime in 2004, ’10 ,’18 and ’20. She’s the all-time WNBA helps leader with 3,048 and ranks 3rd in assists per activity (5.6), fourth in steals (687) and 10th in job acquire shares (59.2).

Chicken has been a part of all but five of the league’s 25 seasons. The Storm drafted her No. 1 out of UConn in 2002 and she’s performed at least 27 (of about 30-34) video games in all but the 2019 and 2020 period. She missed 2019 because of to a knee injuries and missed half of the 22-recreation 2020 bubble season with a remaining bone bruise in her knee.

The 12-time All-Star averaged 12. points on 43% taking pictures, 5.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes for each match over her job.

Bird aided guide Connecticut to NCAA countrywide titles in 2000 and 2002, earning National Participant of the 12 months her senior period remaining drafted No. 1 to the Storm. She’s received five consecutive Olympic gold medals as properly as four Planet Cup gold medals and a person bronze with Crew Usa. The 10 medals are the most of any basketball player, men’s or women’s, around the globe and she’s 1 of 11 gamers ever to gain Olympic gold, Entire world Cup gold, a WNBA title and a NCAA title.