Very seldom does a player come along who impacts the world on the court and off the court. The unblemished career of a legend on both coasts is now forever enshrined with a commemorative bronze statue of her signature layup, just a few feet from Hall of Fame Seattle Super Sonic head coach and player Lenny Wilkins. One mark of a champion is the amount of winning they’ve done, and we know Sue Bird has her share of wins, yet her competitiveness and her spirit of inclusion resonates with sports fans, the LGBTQ community, and society in general.
She learned her perseverance and the fundamentals of sports from her older sister, Jen, growing up in Syosset, New York. Like Jen, Sue grew up immersed in sports, playing everything from soccer, tennis and track before being called to the basketball courts. It wasn’t long before her basketball greatness began to shine.
Bird’s early exposure to competition and discipline laid the foundation for her transfer to Christ the King High School in Queens, a basketball powerhouse program where she sharpened her skills against elite talent, while leading her high school team to the New York High School State championship. That move wasn’t just strategic; this move was evidence that Bird’s athleticism was matched only by her relentless drive to grow and win.
Bird grew alright! Not only did she blossom into one of the most decorated college players of all time, but her leadership and ability to affectionately hold teammates set he apart from other really good players. After playing only eight games as a freshman at the University of Connecticut, Bird led the Huskies to a record of 107-4 in her final three years at UCONN, while winning two national championships. She also won the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year, along with countless other awards.
Bird’s poise, court vision, and leadership attracted the Seattle Storm and all but forced them to make her the first pick of the 2002 WNBA Draft. With the Storm, Bird developed a leadership style that empowered, encouraged, and inspired her teammates to be the best players they could become. In the process, Bird became a role model for each of her teammates as Jem, her older sister, had been for her.
Having won the two-time NCAA Championships in college, Bird doubled that in her WNBA career, leading the Storm to four WNBA Championships. Bird built a legacy on consistency, grace under pressure, and fierce competitiveness, which earned her five Olympic gold medals in her legendary career spanning from Syracuse to Connecticut and then Seattle.
The impact she has had on the game is not lost on Bird, even with all the awards she’s won, and she recognizes the significance of this commemorative statue, standing just outside the doors of the Climate Pledge Arena in downtown Seattle.
“There’s just not a lot of women who are honored in this way. We have tons of men, and I’m actually proud and honored, especially in the city of Seattle, to be with those other male athletes; those are elite, elite athletes,” Bird says graciously about being memorialized with a statue in downtown Seattle. “And I’m really proud to be in the same breath as some of the best to come through here. But even more proud to be the first WNBA player.”
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Bird’s leadership, poise, and longevity made her the face of consistency in a league built on resiliency. She was the consummate floor general, a master of tempo, vision, and clutch decision-maker, who elevated teammates and set a gold standard for professionalism.
“Sue… is Seattle; She is the Storm; She’s an ambassador for basketball,” said former teammate, coach, and current head coach of the Storm, Noelle Quinn. “After her (playing) is done, she’s been so impactful with her voice, her platform, and to have her end her career with a commemorative statue, not a lot of people get things like that. You understand the impact she’s made not only on the court, but in the community.”
Bird’s game also touched basketball fans in Seattle. She was drafted with the team’s second-ever number one draft pick (Lauren Jackson was the first in 2001). As Bird became the best point guard in the WNBA, the basketball fans in Seattle enjoyed the energy and spirit she brought to each game.
“It’s the energy that she brought to every game that we watched, it’s just amazing, and it’s the energy that she continues to bring to the game she continues to attend,” said Heather of Kenmore. “She was a phenomenal player as well!”
“I grew up in Connecticut, and I’ve been watching Sue Bird all my life,” says Lindsay, who flew to Seattle to witness the unveiling of this statue. “Honestly, she’s the best. She’s scrappy, and she’s a class act. My grandfather says she is the best basketball player of all-time, men and women, and I totally agree. Because she can do it all.”
“UCONN is the basketball capital of the world and Sue Bird brought that team to national prominence,” said Dorthy Gesick from West Seattle, while wearing a shirt that names Sue Bird as the new state bird. “She has never been known to be a dirty player; she knows the moves.”
“That’s four years of ultimate celebration.” Damon Jones says about the joy Bird has brought Storm fans. “She’s a class act, she’s remarkable, a good civic leader, and she’s all in on Seattle.”
Players have also felt the impact of Bird. More than her leadership, her independence has positioned her to become an advocate for inclusion and diversity, which has also increased her fans and supporters in such a welcoming city.
“I’m going to need more than thirty seconds to really get down to what Sue has done for the game,” said newly acquired Storm guard Brittney Sykes. “When you first think about it, she’s an icon. She carries what an icon means. Especially to the league, but not only to the league but to the city of Seattle.”
“Sue is iconic in so many ways. She has a legacy that outreached what she’s done on the court,” says Nneka Ogwumike about Bird’s impact on the Storm and the city of Seattle. “For her to be able to do it in one jersey, her career and impact so many different people. It’s almost a matter of, when was she going to get one? So. I’m grateful to be here.”
Since being drafted with the number one draft pick back in 2002 by the Storm, Bird joined Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Seimone Augusta (Minnesota Lynx), Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoops, Tina Thompson (Houston Comets), WNBA players to have won four WNBA Championships. She is so far the first WNBA player to be immortalized with a statue outside the arena where she played professionally, signifying what she meant to the franchise and the city of Seattle. How did Sue Bird impact you? Did she give you the courage to speak up for your beliefs; did she give you the confidence to overcome the various challenges life presents? Even if you just enjoyed the Storm’s championship watch parties, let me know how Sue impacted you.
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