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Seattle Storm

Storm Signs Sue Bird To Multi-Year Contract Extension

September 10, 2009 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Seattle Storm News Release


SEATTLE, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2008 - Seattle Storm Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel Brian Agler announced today that Sue Bird has signed a multi-year contract extension with the Storm.

"We are delighted that Sue will continue her career with the Storm, and we are certain that our fans feel the same way," Agler said. "She is an outstanding point guard and a team leader, and we appreciate all that she does to contribute to our success."

Added Karen Bryant, Storm president and CEO: "Sue Bird is a stellar representative of this franchise in our community, and she has made valuable off-the-court contributions for the past eight seasons. She has become an integral part of the Storm family, and we are thrilled that she will continue her professional career in Seattle."

Bird has been considered one of the premier point guards in the WNBA since entering the league in 2002. Both her 5.5 assists per game average and her 1,425 total assists rank second in WNBA history (see chart below). Bird has been named to the All-WNBA First Team four times in her career, and was voted as a starter at the WNBA All-Star Game in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. At this year's WNBA All-Star competition, Bird scored 16 points and set an All-Star Game record with 10 assists.

"I am excited to continue my playing career with the Storm," Bird said. "Seattle is a great basketball town, with the best fans in the WNBA. I feel fortunate to be part of this team and the Storm organization."

She is the Storm's all-time leader in assists and recently became the third player in WNBA history to record 3,000 career points and 1,000 career assists. Bird has collected three Player of the Week awards during her career, including two this season.

Bird was selected in 2006 to the elite, 10-member WNBA All-Decade Team and in July 2009 was named to the Storm's All-Decade Team. She also was a member of the gold medal-winning 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Senior National Teams.

Prior to joining the Storm as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA draft, Bird led the Connecticut Huskies to two NCAA National Championships in 2000 and 2002. She was selected as two-time All-American, was named the 2002 Associated Press and Naismith Player of the Year, and selected three times as the Conseco/Nancy Lieberman-Cline National Point Guard of the Year.

She ranks as UConn's all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage (.459) and free throw percentage (.892). Bird was named the Best Female College Athlete of the Year at the 10th Annual ESPY Awards in 2002, and was selected as the Female Sports Star of the Year by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer at the 68th Annual Sports Star of the Year Awards Banquet in 2003.

Single-game tickets for the Seattle Storm's first home playoff game of the Western Conference Semifinals at KeyArena start at just $16. They can be purchased online at stormbasketball.com or by calling 1-877-WNBA-TIX.

CAREER WNBA ASSIST LEADERS

G APG ASSISTS

Ticha Penicheiro 367 5.9 2,163

Sue Bird 257 5.5 1,425

Shannon Johnson 350 4.1 1,419

Teresa Weatherspoon 254 5.3 1,338

Dawn Staley 263 5.1 1,337

Check out the Seattle Storm Statistics

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