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ESPN - Wednesday, March 14 2001
Chat wrap: Sue Bird
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Bird averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds a game.
Welcome to ESPN.com's moderated chat room. On Wednesday, the point
guard for the No. 1 seeded UConn women's basketball team, Sue Bird,
dropped in to chat to talk about this season and the NCAA Tournament.
If the UConn Huskies are going to make it to the Final Four, Bird
needs to have an enormous tournament. Looking at her regular season,
there is no reason to believe she can't do it.
The Huskies are missing two first-team All-Americans from last
season, Svetlana Abrosimova and Shea Ralph. Abrosimova has been
out since Feb. 1 with a torn ligament in her left foot. Ralph blew
out the ACL in her left knee in UConn's victory over Notre Dame
in the championship game of the Big East tournament.
UConn finished the season 28-2 and ranked No. 1 in both the AP
and ESPN/USA Today Coach's Poll. The Huskies will face Long Island
University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17.
This is the fourth time in the last seven years that Connecticut
had led the final poll. The Huskies also finished the season at
No. 1 in 1995, 1997 and last year. The only time they did not win
the national championship as the No. 1 team was 1997, when Tennessee
beat them in a regional final.
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[1] Jeffrey Hochberg from [64.80.20.146], at 2:01pm ET
How do you get mentally prepared, being a favorite to make the final
4 every year? Is there any pressure?
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[2] Sue Bird at 2:02pm ET
That pressure comes from playing for UConn. Since everyone expects
that of us, we expect that from ourselves and we prepare for that.
So we do it all year long, and in the tournament is no different.
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[3] William from [206.28.210.11], at 2:02pm ET
What's going to be more important for the Huskies to make it to
the Final Four - perimeter shooting or improving the inside game?
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[4] Sue Bird at 2:03pm ET
I think it will be an all-around effort from everyone. Losing Svet
and Shea and what they brought to the table -- everyone is going
to have to do a little bit more. Even though we can't replace them,
we still have a pretty good team.
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[5] John Willsey from [64.51.128.250], at 2:03pm ET
You have always been the "old-school" type of point guard
-- sacrificing your personal numbers for the team, and looking first
to run the show and create for others. With the loss of two major
offensive weapons, will you be actively looking to assume a greater
scoring role in the half-court offense than you have in the past?
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[6] Sue Bird at 2:04pm ET
Yes and no. Like I said before, everyone on the team has to do a
little more. I will have to be a little more aggressive on the offensive
end. But we will do what we have to do to win.
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[7] Steve from [205.188.200.200], at 2:04pm ET
Sue, Congratulations on a great season so far! Also, great game
vs Notre Dame. In your bracket this year there are at least four
or five quality teams that you could possibly go up against. How
do you feel about this year's bracket, compared to last year's?
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[8] Sue Bird at 2:05pm ET
Thanks Steve.
We are different than last year. And just like last year, this
year's brackets are different. The brackets are always tough no
matter who we play. We just want to get out and play.
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[9] Uconnfan from [209.113.178.81], at 2:05pm ET
Question for Sue. First I would like to say congrats on the Big
East tourney, it was a great win for an incredible program. My question
is you seemed to take Shea's injury very much to heart, it is clear
how close you are. How much of an emotional effect did that have
on you at the BE tourney and for the NCAA tourney?
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[10] Sue Bird at 2:06pm ET
Obviously losing Shea and her abilities is a tough toll to take.
But now we hopefully have six games ahead of us and we want to make
the best of it and win it for her.
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[11] Christine Winters from [24.218.152.213] at 2:06pm ET
This years UConn team has been said to be the best ever, do you
believe this has been the best team out of your three years?
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[12] Sue Bird at 2:08pm ET
Obviously the teams are different just by definition. But over the
last five months, we have definitely established an indentity heading
into the tournament. It's hard to say which is the best because
they are all different.
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[13] bbarn11 from [24.14.133.196], at 2:08pm ET
Who do you like in the men's tournament?
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[14] Sue Bird at 2:08pm ET
I like Duke and Arizona. I think Arizona has the momentum. And Duke
is just nasty.
I would have picked UConn as my sleeper but I have UConn winning
the NIT.
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[16] Heather from [64.152.175.89], at 2:09pm ET
What will you miss most about these seniors that are leaving this
year?
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[17] Sue Bird at 2:10pm ET
I will miss them off the court and their personality. They have
been here ever since I have been so they are all I know. They have
taught me a lot and hopefully I can take the torch and pass it to
the younger guys.
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[18] sue_fan from [204.89.226.65], at 2:10pm ET
What do you guys do on road trips to have fun outside of basketball?
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[19] Sue Bird at 2:11pm ET
We are regular kids -- we do what everyone does to have fun. We
try to take in NBA games, movies, go to the beach. It depends on
where we are.
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[20] Aaron Connelly from [160.36.84.131], at 2:11pm ET
Who would you like to play most in the finals?
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[21] Sue Bird at 2:12pm ET
We joke around about teams we would like to play -- Tennessee, ND
because they have beaten us this year or Iowa State because of what
happened my freshman year (upset in the Sweet 16).
But we'll take what we get.
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[22] Carolyn from [64.152.175.89], at 2:12pm ET
What has been you greatest and worst moments at UConn?
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[23] Sue Bird at 2:13pm ET
Winning the national championship was the highest moment and tearing
my ACL and the way my freshman year ended were probably the low
points.
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[25] Jennifer from [167.21.10.1], at 2:13pm ET
During the win against Notre Dame you said the win was for Shea.
How would it feel to bring a second championship to your team captain?
What do you think it would mean to her?
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[26] Sue Bird at 2:14pm ET
That is definitely in the back of everyone's mind to get it for
Shea and Svet. It would mean the world to her.
Both of them have given so much to the program and to all us
players, that we want to give something back to them.
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[27] William from [206.28.210.11], at 2:14pm ET
As a high school senior, what were some of the other schools besides
UConn you considered attending and playing ball at?
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[28] Sue Bird at 2:15pm ET
My final three were Stanford, Vanderbilt and UConn. I also looked
at Duke and Notre Dame, just not as seriously.
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[29] Shawn Brown from [169.139.176.84], at 2:15pm ET
Are you going to the WNBA?
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[30] Sue Bird at 2:16pm ET
I will cross that bridge when I get there because I am only a junior.
But playing after college is definitely appealing to me.
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[31] Billy from [137.99.174.103], at 2:16pm ET
How is your back?
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[32] Sue Bird at 2:16pm ET
It's fine and doing much better. But I'm still doing treatment.
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[33] Chang from [38.162.111.4], at 2:17pm ET
Sue: Congratulations on winning the BE Tourney. How do you manage
to be so calm and cool while playing intense games like the BE Final
?
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[34] Sue Bird at 2:17pm ET
Thanks
It just comes with experience. The more situations you are in,
you know how to handle it. It is never easy however. It's called
getting old.
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[35] Sue Bird at 2:18pm ET
That's all the time I have for now. Thanks for all the questions,
I have enjoyed chatting with you. I hope everyone roots for us in
the tournament.
Take care.
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