SEATTLE — Veteran guards Sue Bird and Tanisha Wright have signed multiyear contracts with the Seattle Storm, the WNBA team announced Thursday.
“Re-signing Sue and Tanisha was a priority in terms of what we wanted to accomplish during the offseason,” Storm head coach and general manager Brian Agler said. “They are the best backcourt in the WNBA and a critical part of building a roster that can compete in 2012 and beyond.”
Bird and Wright are longest tenured starting backcourt in the WNBA. They hae started 117 games together.
Bird, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 WNBA draft, led the Storm in scoring last season (14.7 points per game) and was named a starter in the WNBA All-Star game for the seventh time. She became the 16th player in WNBA history to score 4,000 points and also was recognized as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.
“I’ve always said I want to finish my career in Seattle,” Bird said in a statement. “There is no place else I’d rather play. I’m happy to get this done. My first 10 years with the Storm have been memorable, and I look forward to making more great memories this season and in the future.”
Wright, the Storm’s first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2005 draft, averaged 10.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season. She also made her third consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team.
“I don’t think a lot of people can say they’ve spent their whole career with one team,” Wright said in the press release. “I’m extremely blessed. I’m happy that the organization wanted me back and we could get this done.”
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