Carving Out Sue Bird

I was pleasantly surprised during my recent visit to the Dunn Museum. The newest exhibit Carving Out the Future: The Rotblatt Amrany Studio Story featured a lot of athletes, including WNBA legends Sue Bird and A'ja Wilson.

Founded in 1992 by artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, the Rotblatt Amrany sculpture studio and school has statues, memorials and parks all over the world. Running through January 2027, this exhibit features many athletes, but also historic figures like astronaut James Lovell.

Upon entering the gallery, the first thing you see is a section dedicated to Michael Jordan. Moving along, there are sculptures of Jordan's teammate Scottie Pippen, Green Bay Packers legendary coach Vince Lombardi, Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg and many more. Then I saw Sue Bird.

Bird played her entire 19 year career with the Seattle Storm, making 13 All-Star teams, winning four WNBA titles and being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bird is a basketball legend.

It's not that she wouldn't deserve a sculpture. I am just happy Bird and Wilson (a current star and legend in the making) were acknowledged with these sculptures. As a longtime fan of both and supporter of women's sports, it was great seeing them represented.

Go to Carving Out the Future on Global Traveler to get more pictures. Check back here for my coverage of other great sculptures, statues and art.

Sue Bird and me in Libertyville, IL-June 2026.

On the Beat With the Seattle Storm 05/31/2021

The Seattle Storm announced Head Coach Dan Hughes was retiring and assistant coach Noelle Quinn was replacing him. This was a bit of a surprise, but not a total shocker.

Recently, Hughes skipped a game for his son's graduation. Quinn took the reins for that game. In a press session upon his return, Hughes talked about his changing priorities and the importance of family time.

On the surface, it seemed Hughes was in a good place, finding peace and balance in his life. Listening to Hughes and reflecting on the session, I think Hughes had already made up his mind to leave.

Hughes, 66, has been coaching for 44 years, starting as a grad assistant at Miami (Ohio). He is a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year. He guided the Storm to the WNBA title in 2018. Last season, Hughes took a leave due to health concerns, while the Storm won the title in the Bubble with assistant coach Gary Kloppenburg assuming the head coaching duties.

Quinn was a star at UCLA before being selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2007 WNBA draft. In her 12 year career, Quinn played for the Lynx, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Washington Mystics, the Storm (twice) and the Phoenix Mercury. In 2019, Quinn was named an assistant coach of the Storm. Last season, she was named associate Head Coach.

In the press session, Coach Quinn discussed the transition to head coach, her style of coaching and the significance of former players becoming coaches. Quinn described herself as a quiet, “servant” leader. She isn't loud, but she doesn't have to be loud to make her point and lead.

Quinn struck me as a very confident, humble person. At just 36 and only three years removed from her playing career, Quinn should have no problem relating to the players. With two years of coaching experience, Quinn has made the transition to coaching. Being head coach comes with more pressure and responsibility, but Quinn is ready for that challenge and I think she will be a great one.

Of course Quinn will be helped by a team that won two championships in the last three seasons and is loaded with talent, including Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. With that type of talent comes high expectations though. Coach Quinn and the team are ready for the challenges ahead.

Bird followed Quinn in the session. As a star and a longtime vet, Bird gave her opinion of the situation and Quinn. While the coaching situation of the last three seasons might seem a bit unstable, it really is the same system and the same team.

In talking about the impact of a woman coach, Bird made an interesting point. At 25 years, the league is young. It couldn't have former players as coaches in the early years. The emergence of the WNBA, developmental leagues and foreign leagues has allowed many more women the opportunity to play. There are now many more women coach possibilities available.

The subject of women coaching is one I have broached many times in press sessions. With no disrespect to men coaches like Bill Laimbeer and Dan Hughes, I think it is very important for former players in the league to move through the coaching ranks. Also, other former college players and coaches deserve breaks in the WNBA coaching  circuit.

This isn't a sexist thing. It is about growing the league from within. It's about opportunity for women where there once wasn't any. It's about the identity of the WNBA. Making Quinn Head Coach is a great choice and I wish her good luck.

The interview session can be found at On the Beat With the Seattle Storm 05/31/2021. Check back here for my recurring coverage of the WNBA.

On the Beat With the Seattle Storm 05/09/2021

The Seattle Storm held media sessions on Sunday from Training Camp. Coach Dan Hughes and players Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd fielded questions.

The reigning champs had one major change in the offseason. Coach Hughes returned from a one year absence from the sidelines due to health concerns in the COVID pandemic. Assistant Gary Kloppenburg took the helm and guided the Storm to the title, but now returns to his assistance coach role.

Coach Hughes discussed how his time away from the bench might have affected his perspective. Of course, despite not coaching the team on a daily basis, Coach Hughes was still involved in the team. The change in coaching didn't affect the team last season, nor is it expected to disrupt the tam this season with Coach Hughes back. It's still the same system.

Coach Hughes, Stewart, Bird and Loyd all gave their thoughts on the state of the league and the ongoing social justice movements. All agreed both are doing great, heading in the right direction, but still having a way to go. 

A good portion of Stewart's session focused on her recent engagement to Phoenix Mercury player Marta Xargay. Stewie took us through the process leading to the big moment. She also talked about playing against her betrothed in games.

Bird also talked about pre-game feelings. After playing so long and achieving a high level of success, Bird still gets excited, but the butterflies have mostly been replaced by a calmness. She assured us she is still just as fired up though.

Lastly Loyd talked about being included in the new mural by artists Mari Shibuya an Zahyr Lauren. Located a block away from the Storm's home at Climate Pledge Arena, the mural measures 50 feet by 20 feet and features Loyd, Stewart and Bird.

Loyd also talked about her stint as an assistant coach on Doug Bruno's staff at DePaul this last season. Loyd has a long relationship with Bruno and was happy to coach the Blue Demons. She was quick to state she has no intention of going into coaching, but she wanted t help the young athletes and give back a bit.

Lastly, I got Loyd to talk a bit about Chicago food. A native of Lincolnwood, a suburb just north of Chicago and one block from where I live, Loyd mentioned Lou Malnati's Portillo's, East of Edens and Dear Franks. Aside from being a star player, I can tell from my experience, Loyd has excellent taste in dining options.

The Storm open their regular season Saturday, when they host the Las Vegas Aces. The Storm and Aces met in the WNBA Finals last season, after having identical 18-4 records in the season. The Aces, Storm and Chicago Sky are considered favorites to win it all this year.

The interview session can be found at On the Beat With the Seattle Storm 05/09/2021. Also, check my recurring coverage here, on GlobalTravelerUSA.com, GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com and Patch.com.

On the Beat With the 2020 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm 10/06/20

Last night, the Seattle Storm beat the Las Vegas Aces 92-59 to sweep the WNBA Finals and win the 2020 WNBA championship. The victory ended an historic WNBA season.

The Storm finished with a record of 18-4, which tied them with the Aces for 1st place in the Western Conference and a #2 seed in the playoffs.

In early July, WNBA teams arrived at the IMG Academy in Brandenton, Florida. The teams played 22 games in “the Wubble” with no fans in attendance.

Right from the start, the league as a whole and the players individually made it clear this season was about a lot more than basketball. Using their platform to promote social justice, encourage voting and raise money and awareness for charities, everyone was united and consistent with their messages.

The WNBA was the first major pro sports league to restart during the pandemic. With a couple minor exceptions, which did not affect team rosters, everyone remained healthy. The WNBA set the example for the NHL and NBA to follow.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert is already planning for the 2021 season. Although the shortened season started in August this season, the regular season usually starts in May. After the game last night, the Storm's coach Gary Kloppenburg and players Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark appeared in media sessions. All involved gave their thoughts on the series, the season and the historic importance of what was accomplished. Right to the end, all stressed the need for social change and voting. All stated the messages will not end with the end of this season. They will continue to use their platform to have their voices heard. This is bigger than basketball, but basketball will continue to allow them to promote their messages.

Go to WNBA.com for more info on the Storm and the WNBA. Also check here for recurring coverage.

On the Beat With the Seattle Storm 08/03-04/29

In my continuing effort to spread the Johngy's Beat vibe all over the WNBA, I have added the Seattle Storm to my coverage. This week, I sat in on media sessions featuring coach Gary Kloppenburg and players Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Morgan Tuck and Jordin Canada.

Coach Kloppenburg played college ball at UC San Diego and started his coaching career as an assistant with the Seattle Storm in 2000. He had stints with a few WNBA teams, as well as the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, before rejoining the Storm as an assistant in 2017. He was 5-3 as an interim head coach for the Storm in 2017 and was named Head Coach for this season.

A guard at UConn, Sue Bird was selected #1 overall by the Storm in the 2002 WNBA draft. She retired after the 2018 season, but rejoined the Storm this year. In her 16 seasons, she has won three championships, while winning many awards. She has averaged 12.1 points, 5.6 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Bird also had a stint in the front office of the Denver Nuggets, a pioneering role which was my focus in my time with her in the interview.

Guard Loyd went to Niles West High School, about a mile from me. After starring at Notre Dame,, she was selected 1st overall by the Storm in the 2015 WNBA draft. She has played 165 games in five seasons, averaging 14.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Forward Tuck played at UConn, before being selected by the Connecticut Sun in the 1st round (3rd overall) in the 2016 WNBA draft. She joined the Storm this season. In four seasons, she has played 115 games, averaging 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. A special thanks goes to Lorraine of the UConn Huskies Bleed Blue Facebook page for the question suggestion.

Guard Canada starred at UCLA, before she was selected by the Storm with the 5th pick in the 1st round of the 2018 WNBA draft. In her two seasons, she has played 63 games, averaging 7.9 points, 2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

As usual, I covered a few topics. Some of them were even basketball-related.

Check WNBA.com for more info on the league. Also, check Johngy's Beat, GlobalTravelerUSA.com and GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com for my recurring coverage.