Seattle looking to win fourth title

Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart just don’t lose when they reach basketball’s biggest stage.

Whether competing in the Olympics, for an NCAA championship or in the WNBA Finals, Seattle’s stars have always come out on top. The pair have helped USA Basketball win the last four gold medals at the Olympics with Bird being a part of all of them.

In college, the duo led UConn to a combined six championships, including four in a row when Stewart was at the school,

Now they are trying to help the Storm win the fourth WNBA championship in franchise history. Bird’s been a part of all three of the previous titles, including teaming up with Stewart for the 2018 crown.

Bird, who turns 40 later this month, can’t explain why she and Stewart have an unblemished record in championship games and series.

“It’s tough. I don’t know, guess if I could tell you what it was I’d bottle it and sell it to every upcoming basketball player,” Bird said. “I don’t know if I could put words around it. Some of it is luck. Go through every WNBA championship, there’s always luck involved. Sometimes the ball goes your way.”

Standing in the way of continuing that unbeaten streak is league MVP A’ja Wilson and top-seeded Las Vegas. Game 1 of the bestof-five series is Friday night in Bradenton, Florida.

Wilson has been the cornerstone of the franchise since Las Vegas drafted her with the No. 1 pick in 2018. She averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and two blocks this year for the Aces. She stepped her game up in the postseason, including a 23-point, 11-rebound effort in the decisive fifth game of the semifinals against Connecticut.

Wilson said she “knew it was my time to put the team on my back,” scoring 11 points in the final quarter of the win that sent the team to the finals, including making nine of 10 free throws.