Hall of Famer Becomes Third UConn Legend to Have Jersey Retired
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Storrs will no longer see a No. 10 on the hardcourts. Sue Bird, one of the most decorated athletes in basketball history, will see her jersey lifted to the ceiling, never to be worn again. She is only the third women’s basketball player in UConn Huskies history to receive the program’s highest honor.
Interestingly, Bird’s story at UConn began with doubt. She was recruited by programs such as Stanford and Vanderbilt, among many others. Bird nearly passed on the Huskies after two point guards committed before her. However, when one spot unexpectedly reopened, fate and Geno Auriemma’s persistence brought her to Storrs.
Eight games into her freshman season, Bird’s momentum was halted by a torn ACL. That moment became her turning point of sorts. By her sophomore year, she was running the offense, leading UConn to a 36–1 record and the 2000 national title. From there, Bird’s career turned into legend.
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Bird went 114–4 in the games she played, won two national championships, and became the first-ever winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award, then went on to win it again for good measure. Bird’s senior year saw a 39–0 season, three major national player of the year awards, and one unforgettable buzzer-beater against Notre Dame, immortalized in Bird at the Buzzer.
Bird left Storrs ranked second all-time in assists, first in both three-point and free-throw percentage. Her legend only grew beyond college. Bird was drafted first overall by the Seattle Storm in 2002 and went on to win four WNBA championships, one in each of three different decades.
Bird played 20 seasons, made 13 All-Star teams, and left the game as one of only two players, male or female, ever to win five Olympic basketball golds. Her No. 10 already hangs in Seattle; soon, it will hang in Storrs, too. Her jersey retirement comes during a season steeped in nostalgia for UConn.
The program will also celebrate the 2015 and 2016 championship teams, add Aaliyah Edwards to the Huskies of Honor, and continue honoring the generations that built the dynasty. However, Bird’s night will stand apart. It’s the celebration of a player whose influence shaped the modern identity of UConn basketball. Because before there was Paige Bueckers, Maya Moore, or Breanna Stewart, there was Sue Bird.
Who Are the Two Other Huskies to Have Their Jersey Retired?
Bird’s No. 10 will join two others in Gampel Pavilion: Rebecca Lobo’s No. 50 and Swin Cash’s No. 32. It’s an exclusive trio since UConn only retires jerseys of players inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. That standard says everything about the company Bird now keeps.
Lobo was the original face of UConn women’s basketball. In 1995, she led the Huskies to a perfect 35–0 season and their first national championship. Her senior year saw Lobo win the Naismith, Wade, and AP Player of the Year, among others.
Then came Cash. Like Bird, she won two NCAA titles in 2000 and 2002, and her leadership anchored UConn’s iconic 39–0 season in 2002. Cash went on to win three WNBA titles, become a four-time All-Star, and twice claim All-Star MVP honors. Her No. 32 now hangs in Storrs.
And just beyond them, another legend waits her turn. Maya Moore, also inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, will one day see her No. 23 join the others in the rafters. The date for the same is yet to be announced.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.