| | The UConn women's basketball team is looking for a little revenge in the NCAA Tournament, says point guard Sue Bird.
In a chat session with ESPN.com users, Bird talked about the team's desire to avenge its only loss of the season to Tennessee. She also talked about other teams which could make a run at the title, what her team needs to do to get to the Final Four, and
who the toughest players are she has played against.
If you missed Bird's March 14 chat, an edited transcript follows:
| |  | | Sue Bird helped lead the Huskies to their seventh straight Big East title. |
Sue Bird: Hey everybody. Glad to be here. Thanks for having me. Ask away and here we go.
Rosemary: Sue, first, congratulations to you and the team for a great regular season and best of luck in the
tournament. What is the most important factor that makes the Huskies the
outstanding team they are?
Sue Bird:
First off, thank you for asking and for the congrats.
I think one of the most important factors is
our versatility and depth. We have a lot of really good players who, on any given day, can be an
All-American. I think that's what really helps us.
Lindsay: What song were you guys singing after the game the other
day?
Sue Bird: It's actually not a song. Our cheerleaders came up with it last year. First it started as a joke, but
then it kind of stuck.
Acvig.com: How tough has the media attention been on UConn as the favorite to win it all this year? How has the team stayed focused, grounded and hungry?
Sue Bird: When you come to a place like Connecticut, you expect to have that kind of attention because
of what has happened in the past. But as far as this year's team goes, we're really concentrating
on what we have to do and are really focused and try not to let outside things affect us. It's more
of us working hard in practice every day and carrying it over in the games. We have a lot of
different goals, so it makes it a lot easier to stay focused.
Haley: Is there any team you are particularly eager to play in the tournament?
Sue Bird: Not really. I think the way the pool is laid out, every game is going to be a tough one. Whoever
we meet, we're going to have to prepare well and play our A-game. Obviously, Tennessee is
the only team that beat us, so it would be nice to play them again. If it doesn't happen, that's fine, but
if we do, it'll be in the championship game, so I'll be happy with that, too.
Tracy: What other Big East schools do you see as being dangerous in the tournament?
Sue Bird:
I think Rutgers is a team that's going to be extremely dangerous. They're so aggressive
-- and the way they play is very difficult to play against. We played them three times this year,
and I'll tell you, every time was a tough game and I wouldn't want to face them in the
tournament, to tell the truth. The same thing goes for Notre Dame and BC. Notre Dame has a
lot of great players -- Ruth Riley inside and Alicia Ratay knocking down 3's on the outside. BC can
give you a run, too. They played us tough, and I'm glad we don't have any of them in our
bracket.
Czausz: Who is better, Shea Ralph or Svetlana Abrosimova?
Sue Bird:
The things Svetty does that amazes me is the way she can just penetrate against anybody. She's
so versatile. She can rebound and she can score. Her knowledge of the game also impresses me.
Also, with her work ethic, she'll never let you know whether she's tired or not. Obviously, she's one
of the best players on the team and will be one to take us as far as we go.
As for Shea, I think they're different players. Shea is the hardest worker on this team. Her
mental toughness carries over to the rest of us. It's contagious and helps us get through practice
and games. She'll always be there and she makes big plays when they're needed. Not only can
she drive against the best, but she can go inside against anybody. She can also knock down the
3.
And on defense, both are up there and getting a lot of steals. Both are very important to this
team.
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BIRD'S FILE
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Bird played in just eight games as a freshman before suffering a torn ACL in her left knee a month into the season. But after missing nearly all of the 1998-99 campaign, Bird started every game for the top-ranked Huskies this season. Bird's impact was immediate. The Huskies topped both top 25 polls since the preseason and won both the regular-season Big East title and the Big East Tournament. At the end of the season, the All-Big East second-team pick was averaging 10.3 points, 4.4 assists and 27.5 minutes, and also boasted a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Bird also shoots 50.7 percent from the field, 88.9 percent from the foul line and 49.1 percent from 3-point range. Bird was equally dominant in the prep ranks. At New York's Christ the King High School, she was a first-team Parade All-American, averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 8.5 steals a game as a senior. She also was the 1998 MVP of the New York State tournament as well as the New York State Player of the Year. Bird also was a 1997 AAU All-American, as well as a second-team USA Today pick.
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Gabriella: I was wondering why everyone wasn't jumping up and down cheering like all the
other teams on Selection Sunday? I know y'all have bigger fish to fry, but was it a team
decision?
Sue Bird:
It wasn't that we weren't excited, because we were. But we didn't know what to do. It was right
after practice and had just sat down, and next thing we knew, we were on TV. But don't let it
fool you because we are definitely excited. When the cameras were off, we let it show.
Jim: Do you ever get the chance to practice against Jen or Rita?
Sue Bird: As much as Rita can come, she did. And since Jen is coaching, she's taking care of business
there. But Rita came down a lot and I definitely have learned from her. Even though she was a
college player, she's a pro now, and the way she plays ... well, I think she's one of the best I've
ever played against. She really pushes Kennitra Johnson and myself, and also is very supportive
if you're having a bad day. She shows you the ropes. Last year when I was injured, I had a lot
of time to sit and talk with her on the bench. I have learned a lot from her and I thank her for
that.
Alex: Besides yourself and Tennessee, who do you think has a shot at getting to the Final Four and maybe
winning it all?
Sue Bird:
They don't call this March Madness for nothing. I think it really is anybody's championship.
Anything can happen in any given year. There can be an upset at any time, and whichever team
plays to their ability every night and plays to win and not to lose, will have a chance.
Lindsay: I don't get this whole red-shirting business. Were you red-shirted last season because of your
knee injury?
Sue Bird:
The NCAA rule only allows a player to play so many games to be eligible for a medical redshirt
... a certain percentage. Since I played in eight games, I was two over the limit, so I didn't get
the redshirt.
Steve: How do you motivate yourself when you are up 40 against a team? Does coach ever tell you to
pretend it is tied? Or do you just know that you'll sit if you give less than 100 percent?
Sue Bird:
Like I said earlier, this team has a lot of goals. We've already reached a few, but we're still
working toward the others. We have to work 100 percent in every practice and game, and the
fact that we wanted to do well in the NCAA Tournament is what drove us all season to play the
way we did.
UConn Fan/Alum: Congrats on the successful regular season. How does it feel to be on this team for
the whole year and what is the environment like on this team?
Sue Bird:
First, thanks for the congrats. Personally, I love being on this team. We all get along very well.
We spend so much time together and the things we do we always end up having a great time,
which makes it all worthwhile. Then when you include the basketball part of it, it makes it even
more worthwhile. The way we care about each other makes it all very fun. No one wants to let
the other down, and that's reflected in the way we play. We've got great team chemistry.
JPhalen: Is Gino as hard on you in practice as he seems to be during the game? It's easy to see
that you all do work hard for him.
Sue Bird:
Yeah, coach is really hard on us, but it's all in a positive way. He expects us to give nothing but
our best, but what coach isn't like that? The fact that our practices are so intense is what gives
us the confidence to play the way we do in the games. That all stems from him and the rest of
the coaching staff. I wouldn't trade them for anybody.
Steelrail: As heralded as the many talented players have been, one who seems to have snuck up and
made a huge difference is Kelly Schumacher. Can you talk a little about what she adds to the
team?
Sue Bird:
Kelly has been playing great lately. What she brings is a force in the middle. If a guard gets beat
on the drive, you know she'll be there to block the shot. When she blocks a shot, it energizes
everybody and gets us going. She's also been very consistent on offense.
Jen: I was wondering if you think it's better to concentrate on just one sport
during high school? Did you do anything else besides basketball in high school?
Sue Bird:
I've been playing soccer (center midfielder) and basketball, all my life. In high school, during the
end of it, I chose basketball. I also did track for one year, but it wasn't my thing. I still play
soccer a lot, but I'm sticking with basketball.
Steve:
Your three point shooting has been impressive. How many 3's do you shoot in practice on a
given day?
Sue Bird:
I did a lot of shooting in the preseason. That's when I concentrate on my shot. I came in three
days a week for about an hour and a half, either by myself or with the coaches. During the
season, since practices are more team-based, you don't have as much shooting time by yourself.
We do do a lot of shooting drills, which helps.
Pete: What is the toughest part of being a student-athlete at the college level?
Sue Bird:
The toughest part is when you go on the road and you're forced to miss class. When you miss
class, obviously you miss a lot of the information, and even though our teachers are really helpful
and we have tutors, it's still not the same as actually being in the class. As much as regular
students don't like class, it doesn't help when you miss it, either.
B. Wheel: Who is your favorite pro player? What team would you like to play for someday?
Sue Bird: Jennifer Azzi is my favorite women's player. As for my favorite men's player, Mike Bibby (ha ha),
Stephon Marbury, and if I go old school, I'd say Isaiah Thomas and Larry Bird.
I would
love to play either in New York (home) or any place warm.
Big Fan: Does your knee straighten out?
Sue Bird:
This is gotta be someone I know. As a matter of fact, I don't have full extension on my left knee.
But it does get straighter every day.
Ancient Husky: What is the competitive atmosphere between the men's and women's teams? Since both have
been so successful in the 90's (and will be in the 00's!), it seems natural that there would be a bit
of competition there.
Sue Bird: I think we all have a lot of respect for each other. We hang out with the guys' team and have
classes with them, too. I know both of our teams get along fine.
John: Would you say that your best game this year
was down in Tennessee? By the way Taxi from the football team sends his regards.
Sue Bird:
Thanks for writing, Tax. That probably was my best game, just because of the outcome. But
there have been a lot of other games where maybe my output wasn't as great, but I did my job
as a point guard.
B kip: Who has been the toughest player to guard or play against this year?
Sue Bird: I think the toughest player I've had to guard all year has been a player in practice, and
that's Nykesha Sales and Rita Williams. I've also played against a lot of great competition in
games, too, but those two have made me think about a lot of things. They're so good and
they're at a point where I want to be in the future, so it made me realize I have a lot to catch up
on in my game.
Jphalen: During the games you look so serious. But you always say you are having fun. Are the games
fun?
Sue Bird:
The games are definitely fun. To work the way we work, then go out and show everybody is
fun. As serious as I may look, it's always good to be out there.
Eli: Which teams are you keeping a close eye on in
your bracket?
Sue Bird:
As far as our bracket goes, I know there are a lot of good teams in it, but what our team is
trying to do is concentrate on our next opponent and not worry about any other teams. I think
we're just playing every game like it could be our last -- because it could be.
That's all the time we have for now.
Thanks for having me. Thanks for reading and writing the questions. Good luck to every other
team in the tournament. And a quick hello to my teammates, my coaches, my friends and family
who I know are following along. Thanks for being so supportive of me today. Take care. Sue.
P.S. My favorite classic movie is Animal House.
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