The statue is the latest honor for the 44-year-old former WNBA star, who retired in 2022 and was named as the first managing director for USA Woman’s National Team earlier this year. The five-time Olympic gold medalist and 13-time WNBA All-Star will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

On August 17, a statue honouring former Seattle Storm player and WNBA legend Sue Bird will be unveiled outside Climate Pledge Arena. She is now the first player in the WNBA to be honoured in this way by her team,

Bird also ranks in the Top 10 in the WNBA's all-time scoring list with 6,803 career points. On Thursday, however, the 44-year-old lost her previous spot on the esteemed list as former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike rewrote the history books.