Few WNBA players in league history epitomize a franchise more than Sue Bird does the Seattle Storm. Bird more than lived up to expectations after the Storm made her the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft. She was a 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA selection and a four-time champion. All of those accomplishments came with the Storm, the only team for which she ever played.
Now, the Storm will make sure Bird’s legacy will be preserved forever. The team announced Wednesday that it will unveil a statue in Bird’s honor outside Climate Pledge Arena. The team will hold a ceremony for Bird, and unveil the statue, Aug. 17.
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It will mark the first time in WNBA history that a team has dedicated a statue to a former player, per the Storm’s release.
“Sue’s legacy isn’t just written in championships — it’s woven into the fabric of Seattle,” said Seattle Storm President & CEO Alisha Valavanis. “Her leadership transcended basketball and helped shape a cultural shift — one that expanded who gets to lead, who gets seen and who gets celebrated.
“Today, as the first WNBA franchise to honor a player with a statue, we celebrate not just Sue’s illustrious career, but the standard of excellence and future she helped shape for the next generation of athletes, leaders and advocates. This statue is more than a tribute. It’s a promise that what Sue stands for will keep rising, and young people, especially girls, will always see themselves in greatness,” added Valavanis.
Bird’s statue was created by Roblatt Amrany Studio, which has designed a number of other statues in Seattle, including ones of former Seattle Mariners’ Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. The company also made the A’ja Wilson statue at the University of South Carolina.
Bird spent her entire 21-year WNBA career with the Storm. She’s not only recognized as a franchise icon, but as one of the best WNBA players of all-time. After retiring following the 2022 WNBA season, Bird was quickly inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class.
