Storm Honor Sue Bird by Dedicating Street Near Arena After Her

Former Seattle Storm star Sue Bird speaks at the ceremony in which the city of Seattle dedicated a street "Sue Bird Court" to her.
Former Seattle Storm star Sue Bird speaks at the ceremony in which the city of Seattle dedicated a street "Sue Bird Court" to her. / Kareem Copeland-Washington Post/Screengrab
In this story:

Sue Bird's legacy in the Seattle Storm organization continues on as the team dedicated a street outside of their Climate Pledge Arena to her on Monday.

The section of Second Ave North between Denny Way and Lenny Wilkens Way will permanently be named "Sue Bird Court."

Bird attended a ceremony on Monday as the City of Seattle and Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell honored her with the new sign.

“I’ve always loved and cherished playing here in Seattle. This city will forever be a part of me and that’s why I am so thankful and honored today,” Bird said, via a press release. “When I think back on my time with the Storm—the people I’ve met, the memories I’ve made, the impact this franchise has had off the court and of course, the championships we’ve won on the court—I’m reminded that some achievements don’t come and go, they don’t get broken, they last forever.

"That’s what makes today so special is that I get to add to that list with something that is going to last forever.”

This ceremony happened one day after Bird's partner Megan Rapinoe's jersey was retired by the Seattle Reign FC.

Bird was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2002 and stayed with the Storm until she retired after the 2022 season. She helped the Storm win all of the franchise's four WNBA titles. She also won five Olympic gold medals during her career. Her No. 10 jersey was retired by the Storm during the 2023 WNBA season.

Bird's career with the Storm isn't completely over as she joined the team's ownership group, Force 10 Hoops, back in April.


Published |Modified
Madison Williams

MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.