SEATTLE -- Sue Bird walked off the court Tuesday for the last time, her WNBA career concluding where it started two decades earlier. Despite a season-ending loss, the Seattle Storm point guard received a fitting tribute from the crowd at Climate Pledge Arena. The fans roared their appreciation for her 19 seasons as Bird unsuccessfully fought back tears, repeatedly acknowledging the crowd by raising her hands, before disappearing into the tunnel.
Bird's path from No. 1 overall pick of the WNBA draft to future Hall of Famer seemed direct. She walks away from the WNBA as the most decorated player in league history, with a record 13 All-Star appearances and four championships during a career spent entirely in Seattle.