clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

This Week in Women’s Basketball: Sue Bird announces her final year

A major farewell is in the works.

Olympics: Basketball-Women Finals - Gold Medal Match James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s what happened in the world of women’s basketball the past week:


Sue Bird announces this will be her last year

On Thursday, WNBA legend Sue Bird announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2022 season. Bird took to Instagram to announce the decision, writing, “I’ve decided this will be my final year. I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last year just like this little girl played her first.”

Bird’s retirement comes at the conclusion of her one-year deal with the Seattle Storm, which she signed after raising retirement rumors in 2021.

Tina Charles joins the top five all-time scoring list

All-Star Tina Charles joined the top-five all-time WNBA scorers Wednesday. Charles usurped Cappie Pondexter’s 6,811 points when she scored 29 against the Indiana Fever.

The Aces will play in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game

The Las Vegas Aces have secured a spot in the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup championship game, which will be played on July 26, 2022. The Aces lead the Western Conference.

UConn self-reports 15 NCAA violations

The UConn athletic department self-reported 15 minor NCAA violations in 2021. The violations were revealed by Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday.

Four of the violations were made by the women’s basketball team, including one player receiving $40 from a fan for her birthday.

The school issued a statement addressing the violations, noting, “UConn athletics endeavors to promote an atmosphere of compliance and, while educational efforts are ongoing, it is critical that everyone in the division feels comfortable reporting violations when mistakes are made.”

Kentucky’s Gail Goestenkors announces her retirement

The assistant basketball coach for Kentucky’s women’s team has announced she is leaving her on-court role for the team. Gail Goestenkors will continue to support the program off the court. Goestenkors has worked in women’s basketball for 30 years, and is retiring now to spend time with her family.