Without question, Sue Bird is the greatest player to ever play for the Seattle Storm. Also, a case can be made the greatest player in WNBA history (that is a conversation for another time). On Sunday, the city honored the legendary point guard with a statue, making her the first-ever WNBA player to receive this recognition.
Her career in the Emerald City began when the Storm took the UConn great with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft. Bird made an immediate impact in her rookie season, making first-team All-WNBA. In all, she made all-WNBA eight times while making the first of her record 13 All-Star appearances as well.
She helped lead Seattle to four WNBA championships in her 19 seasons (2004, 2010,2018, 2020). Additionally, Bird is the league’s all-time leader in assists (3,234) and in nearly all of the Storm’s franchise record.
This includes:
- Points: 6,803
- Games Played: 580
- Assists
- Steals: 724
- Field Goals Made: 2,479
- Three-Pointers Made: 1,001
To add on, she is a five-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020). Bird was named as one of the top 25 players in WNBA history in 2021 as part of the league’s 25th anniversary. They will induct her into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. The Syosset, New York native was named the first managing director of USA women’s national team in May.
Former Teammates In Attendance At Statue Unveiling
Former UConn teammates Diana Taurasi and Swin Cash along with ex-Storm teammate Lauren Jackson were among those in attendance at the ceremony. Bird, Taurasi, and Cash were apart of the UConn team that won the National Championship in 2002. Bird and Jackson won two WNBA titles together (2004, 2010). What’s more, Bird, Jackson and Cash won a WNBA title in 2010.
As for the statue, it is a nod to how Bird scored her first and last points in the league: a lay-up. She reflected upon her time playing in Seattle and what the bronze statue means to her:
“The city has given me a home, a place where I could have a career, a place where I felt welcome,” “A place where I really grew up. I mean in a lot of ways, I really grew up here.”
“This is really exciting to be – I don’t even know if honored really covers it because it’s a bronze statue that will be there forever,” “And, it feels different when you think of it that way.”
Overall, she spent 21 seasons with the Storm. Bird joined the late Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with the Lakers) and Dirk Nowitzki (21 with the Mavericks) as players with 20+ seasons with one team to have a statue. All things considered, a well-deserved honor for one of greatest point guards to ever play basketball.
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