Swin Cash, who started alongside Bird during Seattle's 2010 WNBA championship run, announced this will be her final WNBA season. Cash currently plays for the New York Liberty.
Sue Bird had one question when asked to write about a former Storm teammate’s retirement: “How much time do you have?”
Bird joined New York coach Bill Laimbeer, Indiana forward Tamika Catchings and New York guard Tanisha Wright in penning stories celebrating the career of Swin Cash, who announced her retirement Tuesday via The Players’ Tribune website. Cash, 36, won two NCAA and a WNBA championship (2010) with Bird, who also was Cash’s roommate at the University of Connecticut.
“It was easy,” Bird said of her portion where she calls Cash an “experience.” “I literally joked that I didn’t have enough time. How much time you have is how long I could talk about Swin. It came out well because I feel it captured our relationship, a couple stories, and also who she is.”
Currently in her 15th WNBA season, Cash has won three league titles overall (2003, 2006, 2010), two Olympic gold medals (2004, 2012) and two NCAA championships (2000, 2002). She helped name the Seattle fan base “StormCrazies,” playing for the organization from 2008-2011.
Cash will formally retire at the end of this season. She averages 18.7 minutes for the New York Liberty and will end her career ranked in the top 15 in WNBA history in scoring, rebounding, assists, and games played.
“While my playing career will soon be coming to an end, I will never be able to completely walk away,” Cash wrote in her retirement announcement. “I care so much about whether the league will be around for another 20 years — and more. We had to fight to get where we are. We had to fight apathy. We still fight apathy, but with trust that change will come.”