D iana Taurasi was among those in attendance to watch best friend and long-time rival Sue Bird become the first WNBA player to receive a statue from the franchise they played for. Bird, who spent all 21 years of her Hall of Fame career with the Storm, was immortalized outside the Climate Pledge Arena with a bronze statue of her going for a layup.

The Storm unveiled a statue of Sue Bird outside Climate Pledge Arena, making her the first WNBA player to receive that honor by her team.

"Sue's legacy isn't just written in championships — it's woven into the fabric of Seattle," Storm president Alisha Valavanis said in July when the organization first announced Bird's statue.