Matt Calkins: Sue Bird's statue displays rightful permanence for an unrivaled star

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Aug 17, 2025

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SEATTLE — It’s a statue, and also a bookend. A bronze sculpture that encapsulates, maybe, the most accomplished athlete in Seattle history.

There are very few sure things in the realms of sports. Loaded rosters don’t necessarily predict championships. Immense talent doesn’t necessarily ensure victory. But there was an inevitability that came with the redevelopment of Climate Pledge Arena in Queen Anne: Sue Bird was going to get a statue.

That day became official history Sunday morning when Bird’s likeness was unveiled in the west plaza outside of said venue. A 21-year career filled with four WNBA championships was immortalized for the former Storm point guard.

The pose? An underhand layup. The reason? Sue’s first — and last — points in the league came via such a field goal. What happened in between those two buckets rivals anything any pro athlete has achieved in the Emerald City.

Ken Griffey Jr.? The former Mariner was an MVP who might be the greatest center fielder since Willie Mays … but he has four fewer rings than Bird. Hallowed as Russell Wilson or Richard Sherman or Ichiro or Gary Payton may be, the collection of their team triumphs pale in comparison to Bird. Rankings are subjective. Greatness, less so. Bird is a great. Her chiseled, ponytailed image off First Avenue North will remind posterity of that permanently.

“There’s just not a lot of women that are honored in this way, and we have tons of men,” Bird said Sunday. “I’m actually really proud and honored, especially in the city of Seattle, to be with those other male athletes. Those are elite, elite athletes and I’m really proud to be in the same breath as some of the greats that have come through here, but even more proud to be the first WNBA player.”

That’s right, no other player from the W has been honored in such a fashion. Maybe because Bird’s résumé is unique. Nobody in WNBA history has played more games or recorded more assists. Only one player — Rebekkah Brunson — has won more titles, but she wasn’t anywhere near as pivotal as Bird was in hanging those banners. Her career stat line reads: 11.7 points per game, 5.6 assists on a 42.9% field-goal clip and 39.2% from deep. Impressive without context. The fact that her final years — she shot 46.9% from deep as a 39-year-old — were nearly as efficient as her prime years — speaks to her consistency and proficiency.

Many an athlete has hung around to ride superstars to championships to pad their legacies. Bird was not such a player. Despite having Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd by her side in 2018 and 2020, those two titles wouldn’t have come for the Storm sans Bird’s contributions.

Still, one might wonder why other WNBA standouts such as Cynthia Cooper or Lisa Leslie haven’t been sculpted in their respective cities. Well, a lot of that might have to do with Bird’s fan base.

Attendance for Storm games was long near or at the top of the league during Sue’s tenure. And despite some of the star power that sits courtside during Storm games, none of those celebs get the ovation Bird does when put on the jumbotron. Bird’s skill set no doubt plays a large role in such fanfare. But her loyalty to one franchise is equally to thank.

Kobe Bryant? Twenty years with the Lakers. Dirk Nowitzki? Twenty-one years with the Mavs. Nobody else in NBA history played with one team as long, and Sue can go tit-for-tat with Dirk … even if she did sit out two seasons due to injury.

As Hall of Famer and Bird’s former UConn teammate Swin Cash said: “We can have that basketball conversation. Greatness changes the game. Greatness evolves. Greatness stays and has longevity. And that’s what Sue has.”

Indeed, she does.

Two little things stood out to me during Bird’s speech at the unveiling Sunday. One was her quip to not worry about bird feces on her statue in the future, as that’s just the locals checking in. The other was her delight in knowing that her nose looked straight. That wasn’t vanity. That was just an attention to detail that helped separate Bird from her peers for two-plus decades.

It takes more than talent to get a statue. It takes perseverance and devotion, too. Bird had all of it.

Maybe her statue will inspire more of them for WNBA greats. Regardless — tough act to follow.

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