Seattle, WA- The Seattle Storm swept the Washington Mystics 3-0 to earn their third title in Seattle’s history. It was an amazing run from the Storm and their leaders stepped up to the plate when it counted. Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart put the team on their backs when it counted. Yesterday the team celebrated with their fans, as well as family bringing the trophy back to Seattle.
“Coming into this season, she really just changed her mindset. She had specific goals,” Bird said of Stewart. “Obviously, the kid knows how to win. Sometimes it just takes a couple of years to really figure out yourself in this league, because it’s a very tough league to play in. And now here she is. She’s figured it out. It’s probably going to get a little harder from here, to be honest, but I think she’s ready for it.”
“I can read Stewie’s mind sometimes,” Auriemma said. “It’s like she’s just thinking, ‘Hey, one’s going in.’ It’s unbelievable. She just plays like everyone else thinks it’s a big deal, but she doesn’t.”The bigger the game gets, the lower her heart rate gets, it seems. Most players get really excited or nervous. For Stewie, it’s like everything is in slow motion for her. It’s a big game, and it’s like, ‘When do I prove to everybody that I am who I am? I’ll do that now.’ That’s just how Stewie is.”
The Storm had to overcome obstacles against the Phoenix Mercury in the do or die game when Bird came up huge in the fourth quarter to take her team to the finals. The Storm outplayed the Mystics and swept the series. Some players, as well as coaches, speculated that this may be the last time Bird would play, but Bird said she has one more year in her tank.
“It’s really special to win, but to bring a championship to the city and share it with them, it’s amazing,” said Bird. “That’s the plan, I’ll be back next season.”
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