SEATTLE — The greatest player in the history of the Seattle Storm had her iconic No. 10 jersey hoisted to the rafters at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.
Sue Bird was drafted No. 1 overall by the Storm back in 2002. She spent her entire Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) career in Seattle, helping to bring four league titles to the Emerald City.
After the Storm's game Sunday afternoon against the Washington Mystics, Bird's No. 10 joined Lauren Jackson's No. 15 as the second retired number in franchise history.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance received a bobblehead of Bird, and the team hosted other events to honor its former star throughout the weekend.
"She's the greatest, she brought home four championships, none of the other athletes have done that… I mean period, case closed," said Storm fan Sierra Morrison on Sunday.
"First female athlete that I could look up to and resonate with. From having a poster in my room to just wanting to wear number 10 playing basketball as a kid," Morrison said.
There was a flag with Bird's No. 10 and the Storm logo raised at the Space Needle on Friday morning, a mural unveiling and a youth basketball clinic for girls in Seattle were held on Saturday.
"The fact that it's actually here is pretty wild. It is both exciting and maybe a little bit sad," Bird said from the Space Needle after her flag was raised.
Bird retired at the end of the 2022 WNBA season, finishing with 13 All-Star appearances, 5 first-team All-WNBA nods, and was named to the WNBA's 25th Anniversary Team in 2021.
The combination of Bird's retirement and Breanna Stewart's decision to sign with the New York Liberty in free agency has ushered in a new era for the Storm.
Although the team has gotten off to a slow start in 2023, Jewell Loyd has been red-hot. Loyd leads the WNBA in scoring by a wide margin, averaging an eye-popping 28 points per game going into Friday night's games.