This is the authentic Suzanne Brigit Bird

Mohegan T he enduring, underlying magnetism of the UConn women has always been the juxtaposition of how the girls next door in the Rockwellian portrait somehow slay the heathens.

When bobbing ponytails become assassins … on the next Dr. Phil.

Nobody else ever embodied the wholesomely wholesome better than Suzanne Brigit Bird, the apple-cheeked lass with the puckish sense of humor and deadly foul line jumper. Magnetic personality. Kid you'd like to have a beer with, except that, of course, our UConn girls don't drink, belch or run with scissors.

Maybe that's why Bird chuckled Thursday afternoon at the question, once it had rolled around her noggin for a few seconds, alluding to the particular image UConn fans may have of her.

Put it this way: It's probably not posing naked in the latest ESPN (Magazine) The Body Issue with girlfriend and professional women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe.

Hard not to chuckle, as Bird did, of Merle and Marge from Montville breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of Suzy Q bearing all — or at least most. The photos, a celebration of two athletic bodies, didn't leave much to the imagination.

But then, this is Sue Bird being Sue Bird. Living her authentic life. No idealistic image here. Just a young professional woman with predilections, persuasions, orientations and opinions. As real as it gets.

“ESPN asked,” Bird was saying, just after her Seattle Storm finished preparing for Friday night's game in Neon Uncasville against the Sun. “For

me personally, the body issue is celebrating athletes' bodies. Different sizes, different shapes. Look at Greg Norman. Unbelievable, right? For me, it's a celebration. It's an honor to be in it.”

Bird has bounced basketballs all over the world. It has made her worldly. And totally unafraid of who she is, all the way down to her birthday suit.

“It's more of an American thing to look at it differently,” Bird said. “I only say that because having played with so many players from so many different countries — one in particular is Australia. I saw (former Storm teammate) Lauren Jackson go through this 14 years ago maybe. She was on the cover of their magazine — I think it's called Black & White — to celebrate (the bodies of) Olympians. I think the first thing her parents said to her was ‘way to go!' There's something about our culture where they look at it differently. I looked at it as a no-brainer.”

Bird's bodaciousness with her body came about a year after acknowledging her sexuality publicly. Turns out she never knew the impact it would have.

“It was just the right time in my life. Everyone has their own process, their own journey for figuring themselves out. Not just sexuality. Everything,” Bird said. “I think at that point, almost exactly a year ago, I was dating somebody who was out and that kind of added to it. In every other way, shape and form in my life, I was honest and I was out. It was just that I hadn't said it in front of cameras and you guys. It does make a difference. I've learned the impact it can have.”

So much for the idea that athletes should “stick to sports.” Their influence goes well beyond metaphorical to authentic and inspirational.

“In talks with Megan, she opened my eyes to that,” Bird said. “When the article came out, my teammates didn't blink an eye. Some people said congratulations because they understood the meaning, but it wasn't like I was sharing something nobody knew. If you guys (the media) actually thought about it, you probably knew, too.

“With that said, I never understood the difference between coming out in your life and coming out publicly. I was like, ‘I'm living my life, what's the difference?' But in conversations with Megan and other people, you can have a huge impact. It does mean something, especially in the times we're living in now. Men and women were coming up and thanking me. Younger people maybe dealing with it themselves or older people who couldn't come out in their time. It's been great.”

Then Sue Bird chuckled and said, “as far as social media goes, there was, I think, a couple of male hearts I may or may not have broken. But I think when people thought about it, it kind of made sense. ‘Oh, she never had a boyfriend.'”

Suzanne Brigit Bird is about to break the WNBA record for most games played. She's won championships at every level. Gold medals. Been there, done that, making everyone who has ever known her and appreciated her proud.

The kid from, as Geno Auriemma once famously said, “the mean streets of Syosset,” is all grown up now. (Creeping up on 40). Auriemma used to tease her about being “Julie from the Love Boat” because she liked being the team's social director. She's been an enduring source of entertainment and excellence.

It's just that Sue Bird's legacy goes back to the juxtaposition thing again. She's not who we thought she was. She's even better. Living her authentic life. For all to see. This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro