( ENSPIRE Sports ) The Seattle Storm Icon Cements Her Legacy with a Historic Bronze Statue Outside Climate Pledge Arena
ENSPIRE Contributor: Kirah Smith
Photo Credit: Alika Jenner/Scott Eklund/Steph Chambers/Getty Images
On August 17, 2025, the Seattle Storm unveiled a bronze statue of Sue Bird outside Climate Pledge Arena, making her the first player in WNBA history to be honored in this way. The ceremony drew hundreds of fans along with teammates, rivals, and basketball legends who gathered to celebrate Bird’s legacy.
The sculpture, created by artist Julie Rotblatt Amrany, shows Bird mid-layup—a pose chosen to reflect how she scored both her first and final points in the league. Positioned beside the statue of NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, the monument places Bird among Seattle’s most celebrated sports icons.
Photo by Alika Jenner (Getty Images)
Bird admitted the moment was overwhelming. “It’s a little bit surreal,” she told the crowd, later adding, “This statue doesn’t just belong to me. It belongs to Seattle. It belongs to every fan who believed in women’s basketball when the rest of the world wasn’t paying attention.”
The event also featured tributes from fellow stars who witnessed Bird’s impact up close. “We’re not just unveiling a statue. We’re making history,” Storm co-owner Dawn Trudeau said. “How monumental her impact has been, not only in Seattle but all over the world—not loud or flashy, but steady and thoughtful and very human. She was never the loudest voice, but the most trusted.” Former teammate Swin Cash echoed the sentiment, noting that Bird’s influence went beyond the record books. “Greatness isn’t just numbers or honors and titles and banners. It’s the way that she changed the air in the room and in the community and the city,” Cash said. “In Seattle, Sue isn’t just a player. She’s family.”
Photo by Steph Chambers (Getty Images)
Bird’s résumé speaks for itself: 21 seasons with the Storm, four WNBA championships, 13 All-Star selections, and the league’s record for assists. Seattle had already retired her No. 10 jersey and renamed the street outside the arena “Sue Bird Court,” but the unveiling of her statue represents a permanent tribute.
For Bird, the recognition reflects more than personal accomplishment. “People ask me what it feels like to be the first. Truth is, I never set out to be the first at anything,” she said. “But if being the first means I won’t be the last—if this means that in 20 years, there’ll be other statues of other WNBA greats, some of whom are in this audience and some names that we don’t even know yet—then I’m proud to be the first.”
Photo by Scott Eklund (Getty Images)
As fans cheered and lined up for photos with the bronze likeness, Bird’s enduring connection to Seattle and to the growth of women’s basketball was etched into history.
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