The Huskies had a 99% chance to win today’s game. But no one expected them to deliver the largest margin of victory in 28 meetings against DePaul, topping their 47-point win back in 2013. With that dominant performance, the stage was set for a perfect emotional tribute. The crowd roared as Sue Bird’s jersey rose into the rafters. Still, her heart clung to something no trophy could ever capture.

As she put it, “I could sit here and talk about the championships or the bigger victories… the moments in the locker room or the dumb stuff we did in our dorm. The late nights. That’s where my core memories are when I think about my time here, when I think about UConn,” She added after the event. “More than anything, it’s where I grew up, where who I am as a person and a player was built. So a lot of the memories are wrapped up in that, too.”

Throughout her basketball journey, Bird had steady support from friends, family, and coaches. That began in Syosset, New York, carried through UConn, and continued into the WNBA, the Olympics, and all the way to the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

For Bird, it also translated into big wins. Her four seasons with the Huskies marked a 136–9 record and an incredible 93.7% win rate. She led UConn to Big East titles every single year she played and captured two national championships along the way.

She won the Nancy Lieberman Award three times. She became the 2002 Naismith Player of the Year. By graduation, she had 1,378 points and 585 assists, becoming UConn’s first-ever No. 1 WNBA draft pick when Seattle selected her.

So to honour her career, UConn played a highlight montage. It showed Bird hitting threes against Tennessee, threading perfect passes to stars like Diana Taurasi, and running the floor with what many still consider UConn’s greatest starting five: Bird, Taurasi, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, and Asjha Jones. Naturally, the memories came flooding back.

But she’s not the only one. As even head coach Geno Auriemma recalled, “Looking at her and watching her reaction to something she always wanted… that moment will stay with me for a long time,” He said in reference to the 82–70 national title win over Oklahoma in 2002. Therefore, honouring her memory through jersey retirement was well-deserved. 

Though Sue Bird’s jersey retirement arrived a little late.

The Seattle Storm had already honored Sue Bird’s legacy. The team retired her jersey in 2023. She also became the first player in WNBA history to have her own statue outside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

“If being the first means I won’t be the last… if this statue means that 20 years from now there will be statues of other WNBA greats, then I’m proud to be the first,” Bird said. She hung up her sneakers three years ago after a legendary career with Seattle: four championships, 13 All-Star selections, five Olympic gold medals, 6,803 points, and a WNBA-record 3,234 assists.

But for UConn it came recently for a reason. Sue became eligible to have her No. 10 retired only after her older sister, Jen, who originally wore the number, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year. With that, the path finally opened.

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Now, No. 10 will never be worn again by a UConn women’s player. It hangs proudly beside Rebecca Lobo’s 50, Ray Allen’s 34, and the 32 shared by Swin Cash and Richard Hamilton. And yet, there’s a feeling that another “Sue” might be in the making. Can you guess who it is?