The Seattle Storm found another way to honor their longtime star, Sue Bird.
On Monday, the city of Seattle renamed a portion of the street leading to Climate Pledge Arena in honor of the former Storm star. The stretch of street will now be known as “Sue Bird Court.”
“Especially for a woman in sports, this is not a common occurrence,” Bird said. via ESPN“We’re starting to see it more with an example like the A’ja Wilson statue, we’re starting to see these things being celebrated. I didn’t know that was possible. That’s what makes this even more special.
“A young girl might see a poster on the street, a mural or whatever, and dream about it. That’s what makes it more special.”
Bird spent two decades with the Storm, who selected her with the first overall pick in 2002, before retiring after the 2022 campaign. She won four titles with the franchise and earned 13 All-Star nods during her time with the team. Bird averaged 11.7 points and 5.6 assists per game over her career. She is also the league’s all-time assists leader with more than 3,200.
Bird celebrated Monday with her longtime fiancée, soccer star Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe, who retired following the end of the 2023 NWSL season, was presented with the Seattle Reign FC jersey in a ceremony Sunday night.
Bird’s jersey was also retired by the Storm last season. He has since joined the Storm’s ownership group. While he was born in the New York City area, Bird has clearly found a second home in Washington.
“In many ways, I feel like I grew up here,” Bird said. “I doubt I’ll ever sell my house here, even if it’s not my primary residence. We’ll see, we don’t know yet, but I always want to be connected. I always want to have roots here.”