The finality of Sue Bird's retirement will be felt when the WNBA season tips off in four months and the Storm chart a new path without the greatest point guard in franchise history.
Ceremonially, the Storm will say goodbye and honor Bird when they retire her No. 10 jersey June 11 at Climate Pledge Arena during a game against the Washington Mystics.
Bird's former teammate Lauren Jackson is the only other Storm player whose jersey is retired.
Since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2002 WNBA draft, Bird spent her entire 21-year career and played 19 seasons for the Storm.
The 5-foot-9 ponytailed playmaker from Syosset, New York, became a Seattle icon and a fixture in the Storm lineup while playing and starting 640 games — the most in WNBA history — and compiling a 333-247 regular-season record and 34-26 mark in the playoffs for more than two decades.
She announced retirement plans last June and spent the second half of the 2022 season being serenaded with praise and tributes during a farewell tour that drew thousands of fans who flocked in droves to witness her final stops around the league.
Bird played her final game Sept. 6, a 97-92 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals. As she walked off the court one last time at Climate Pledge Arena, the crowd roared, "Thank you, Sue!"
Bird, 42, is widely considered the greatest point guard in WNBA history and leaves behind an impressive legacy that includes four WNBA championships, 13 WNBA All-Star appearances as well as league records for the most victories (333) and assists (3,234).
Of course, Bird's impact transcends the Storm. The former Connecticut Huskies star won two NCAA championships, a record five Olympic gold medals with the US women's national team and five EuroLeague titles.
"At some point I'll look back on it all, reflect a bit and take it all in," Bird said. "It's just a lot. There's so much that you think about. ... Mostly, I'll miss the people. All the people you played with, the coaches, the people in the building and the Storm fans who really embraced me and took me in.
"There's too much to process now. But down the road, I'll get the chance. And it's not like I'm going away. I'll be around."
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