Sue Bird paid tribute to her college coaches during her Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction Saturday, crediting the UConn women’s basketball staff — especially head coach Geno Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey — for shaping her success on and off the court.
“The UConn coaching staff that’s there now is actually the same one from when I was there back then,” Bird said, as reported by Emily Adams of the Hartford Courant. “You assisted me in ways that went far beyond X’s and O’s. You developed my character. Coach Auriemma, you taught me that basketball is not a game of how to, it’s a game of when to, and that wisdom became my North Star both on and off court.”
Bird selected Dailey, known for her exacting standards, as her presenter for the ceremony in Knoxville, Tennessee. While Dailey, Auriemma and assistant Morgan Valley — Bird’s former teammate — missed the start due to a delayed flight, Bird lightheartedly acknowledged the moment.
“That attention to detail became part of who I am, which is exactly why I chose you to present me tonight, and that makes it even more hilarious that they were late,” she said.
Sue Bird’s impressive on-court legacy
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