WNBA great says players must 'strap in' for transition from Final Four

WNBA great says players must 'strap in' for transition from Final Four

Sue Bird can attest to the limited adjustment period from college to the WNBA.

The Hall of Famer spoke to The Arizona Republic about players getting just six days after being selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13 to arrive at their new team's training camp beginning April 19.

Then the league's preseason runs April 25 to May 3.

“The advice I would give is just, man, strap in because it’s a lot," Bird said. "It’s quick. You have a lot of moving pieces. You have to make a lot of big decisions, so really just try to surround yourself with the people that you do trust, whether it’s your family members. By now, all these players have agents."

Bird was the Seattle Storm's No. 1 overall pick in 2002, less than three weeks after she led UConn to that year's national title and an undefeated, 39-0 season.

There were 45 players selected during this year's three-round draft. UConn standout Azzi Fudd was taken first overall by the Dallas Wings.

Ten of the 45 players who competed at the Women's Final Four in Phoenix on April 3 and 5 have a smaller adjustment time before camp begins.

Six players were from UCLA, which cruised to a 79-51 win over South Carolina in the national championship:

• Washington Mystics' No. 3 Lauren Betts and No. 9 Angela Dugalic
• Chicago Sky's No. 4 Gabriela Jaquez
• Toronto Tempo's No. 5 Kiki Rice
• Connecticut Sun's No. 15 Gianna Kneepkens and No. 17 Charlisse Leger-Walker

Other Final Four players drafted were the Indiana Fever's No. 10 pick, Raven Johnson; the Los Angeles Sparks' No. 20 selection, Ta'Niya Latson from South Carolina; the Sun's No. 33, Serah Williams from UConn; and the Mystics' No. 34 overall pick, Rori Harmon from Texas in the third round.

South Carolina's Madina Okot was selected by the Atlanta Dream at No. 13, but she didn't play in the Final Four because of a court case regarding her college eligibility.

After traveling to New York to be drafted, these players had to shuffle everything on short notice.

That's unlike the NBA draft in June, which is over two months from when the men's college basketball season ends. The NBA Summer League is in mid-July, and training camp starts in early October.

"So I’d imagine things are already just set up and are in place, but it happens really, really fast," Bird said. "Before you know it, you’re off to your WNBA city. That’s including packing up your college dorm, saying goodbye.

"Not just the logistical things but the emotional things as well.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sue Bird's advice for players 'fast' change from Final Four to WNBA