STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Sue Bird walked onto the court at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday to a rousing ovation just as she did in her four seasons as one of the best players in UConn women’s history.

The members of the top-ranked 2025-26 team stood on either side of the UConn legend as Bird came onto the court before a game against DePaul, this time without her famous UConn No. 10 jersey. A few minutes later, Bird joined classmate Swin Cash and Rebecca Lobo as the only UConn women’s basketball players to have their numbers retired.

“This is home, this is where it started,” said Bird, a member of the Naismith and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fames. ‘It’s an incredible honor.”

Bird was a part of two national championship teams at UConn. Despite being limited to eight games as a freshman due to a knee injury, Bird finished her career with 1,378 points, 585 assists and 240 steals. UConn was 114-4 with Bird in the lineup. She was the first pick in the 2002 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm and helped Seattle win four WNBA titles. Bird was also part of five Olympic gold-medal winning teams and four FIBA World Cup championship squads.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma called Bird the greatest point guard ever in women’s college basketball.

Bird came to UConn after playing for New York girls’ high school powerhouse Christ the King with a class that included Cash, Asjha Jones, Tamika Williams and Keirsten Walters. Auriemma has said it is a class that changed the way the Huskies played.

UConn had won one national championship at the time. What followed was UConn’s ascension to winning a record 12 titles.

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