Colette’s Commentary: Husky icons Bird and Moore cement their place in basketball history 

UConn women’s basketball legends, Sue Bird and Maya Moore, officially cemented their place in history with induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 6. The two Husky legends have continued to make strides in growing women’s basketball even in retirement. The former Huskies were inducted alongside Sylvia Fowles, who played with Moore on the Minnesota Lynx  

The three join basketball greats such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, a testament to their unmatched skill set. They also have joined former Huskies Rebecca Lobo and Swin Cash, who were inducted into the hall of fame in 2017 and 2022, respectively. Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma was also inducted into the hall of fame in 2006.  Auriemma, Bird and Moore’s coach while at UConn, presented their respective awards to the pair.  

Bird played at UConn from 1998-2002. While at UConn, Bird collected a long list of accolades. Most notably, winning the NCAA National Championship in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, she led the Huskies to an undefeated 39-0 record. During the same year, she also was the consensus winner for National Player of the Year, also collecting the Nancy Liberman Award three times. This award recognizes the nation’s top collegiate point guard, displaying Bird’s superiority in the game. Bird also was named First-Team All-American three times while at UConn. Bird concluded her time at UConn concluded with 1,378 points, 585 assists and only nine losses. Her dominance at UConn has not been surpassed as she continues to hold the women’s basketball career three-point percentage record at 45.9 percent. Bird left UConn to join the WNBA draft, becoming the first UConn women’s basketball player to be the first overall pick in the draft.  

Bird played in the WNBA for almost 20 years, continuing to add to her basketball accomplishments. Bird played for Seattle Storm her entire career, winning four WNBA championships in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020. These wins made her the only WNBA player to win championships in three different decades. She concluded her time in the WNBA with 580 games, becoming the only player to appear in 500 career games without ever coming off the bench. Bird also holds the record for the most career assists with 3,234 assists and the most WNBA All-Star appearances with 13 selections.  

Moore played at UConn from 2007-2011. While at UConn, Moore solidified herself as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. Moore was a team player, leading her team to back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2009 and 2010.  Moore was also a powerhouse on her own, becoming one of only two players to be given AP First Team All-American status. The most notable individual awards Moore won include the Naismith College Player of the Year and the Associated Press College Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2011. Moore concluded her time at UConn with 3,036 points and only four losses, etching her name in Husky history as the leading scorer in the program. Moore departed UConn as the program’s fourth first overall WNBA draft pick in 2011.  

Moore played in the WNBA for eight seasons, from 2011 to 2018. She ended her basketball career early to focus on social justice issues. Moore played all eight seasons with the Minnesota Lynx. Her career included four WNBA championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. In the 2013 championship she was named WNBA Finals MVP. She was named regular season MVP in 2014. In this MVP season, she was also the WNBA scoring leader. She was also a three-time MVP for the WNBA All-Star Game 2015, 2017 and 2018.  

Moore and Bird played together on the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team in 2012 at the London Olympics and 2016 at the Rio Olympics, winning Olympic gold medals. The pair also teamed up on various other international stages, such as the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Championships.  

The pair will go down as two of the best players in women’s basketball. The two have both continued to impact and grow the game in retirement. Bird has focused on media aspects of the game, working to grow women’s sports. Moore has focused on social justice issues. Both continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations.