WNBA Legend Sue Bird’s Two Tips For Attacking on Offense

• By Grant Young

Sue Bird, a WNBA legend, transformed the landscape of offensive basketball during her illustrious career, leaving an indelible mark on the game. 

As a point guard, Bird’s unique blend of skill, vision, ball handling, and intelligence redefined offensive strategies in the league. Her exceptional court awareness allowed her to dictate the pace of play and make split-second decisions that constantly kept defenses on their toes. 

One of her most significant contributions was her ability to facilitate the offense through effective ball movement. Bird’s "pass-first" mentality emphasized teamwork over individual prowess, fostering a collaborative approach that encouraged her teammates to thrive. This shift changed how teams structured their offenses, valuing quick ball movement and player movement over isolation plays. 

Bird also transformed the role of the three-point shooter in women’s basketball. Her deep shooting range forced defenders to extend beyond the arc, creating spacious driving lanes and mismatches. This development led to a greater emphasis on perimeter shooting within offensive strategies across the league, compelling teams to draft and develop shooters who could stretch the floor. 

Additionally, Bird excelled in the pick-and-roll, utilizing her speed and basketball IQ to navigate screens effectively. This versatility allowed her to create scoring opportunities not just for herself, but also for her teammates, making the pick-and-roll a focal point of many offenses. Her ability to read defenses and exploit their weaknesses became a template for aspiring point guards. 

Sue Bird's impact on offensive strategies reshaped how the game is played, prioritizing skill, adaptability, and teamwork. Her legacy continues to influence generations of players and coaches, ensuring that her innovative approach will resonate in the world of basketball for years to come.

While Sue Bird retired from the WNBA, her wisdom about the sport still holds up among the world’s elite. This is why her ‘Sue Bird: Attacking in the WNBA’ clinic contains vital information for not only women’s basketball players, but all coaches and players who want to make their offense more lethal within the modern game.

We have pulled two of Bird’s most pertinent lessons and am including them for you below. 

Beating Pressure Defense

At one point in the clinic, Bird discusses the importance of establishing and utilizing one’s pivot foot when there is an aggressive defender in front of the player on offense, particularly when that player is trying to swipe the ball out with their hands. 

By taking advantage of the pivot foot, the player can work to keep the ball away from the player while also preparing to take an explosive step toward the basket if this opportunity presents itself. 

“Take what the defense gives you,” is often considered a cliché in the basketball world, but it’s something Bird swears by when beating an overly aggressive defender, and when attacking on offense as a whole. Bird believes that in order to play so aggressively on defense, the defender has to sacrifice something. 

This usually means that they’re playing tight defense, which makes them susceptible to being blown off the field on a drive. Or if they’re too focused on trying to steal the ball, they won’t be able to get their hands up in time if you pull up for a shot. 

Bird also explains how a reverse pivot can be extremely effective on a defender who is playing to intercept a pass. If they’re unsuccessful while guarding on the wing, this opens the door for the layer who catches the ball to do a reverse pivot, spin out, and get an open look in the midrange while their defender is still trying to recover from the steal attempt. 

Finishing vs Shot Blockers

One of Bird’s best tips when it comes to not getting a shot blocked by a taller defender is the way she suggests using her body when going up for a layup. 

When the defender is behind her (like when she’s on a fast break), Bird will use her body to lean against the defender and shoot from lower than shoulder angle. This will not only decrease the chances of them blocking your shot, but it will also create a foul. 

Another great option in this scenario is by utilizing a reverse layup. This makes it so the defender can’t block your shot because they’re being impeded by the rim. 

In addition, a layup that Bird loves to utilize is what she calls a quick scooping shot. This is when she forsakes the typical layup for a quicker one that sort of involves her tossing the ball up to the rim with one hand, earlier on in her release than she typically would. 

While this technique can’t be used all the time because defenses will get wise to it and surely takes a lot of practice, this is a great way to get a layup before your defender has time to react. 

Bird also noted that a good strategy that’s often effective is switching the ball in mid-air while going for a layup. This will keep the defender away while also making it likely that they foul the hand that initially had the ball. Not only will this get you to the free throw line, but it won’t affect your chances of making the shot because you’ve already moved the ball over to your other hand.