The 19-year-old who had just scored 19 points to lead her team to the national championship game sat in the locker room appearing neither nervous nor overconfident. She just looked ready.
Sue Bird wasn't new to the spotlight: She had played for high school powerhouse Christ The King in New York City and was a sophomore for the UConn Huskies, although she had lost most of her freshman season to a knee injury. But the 2000 women's Final Four was her biggest stage yet: in Huskies coach Geno Auriemma's Philadelphia hometown with a title-game matchup between UConn and the Tennessee Lady Vols when their rivalry was at a zenith.