SEATTLE — Start building the statue now. Scope out a spot in the rafters for the retired jersey No. 10. Reserve a prime location on Seattle’s mythical Mount Rushmore.
Those are the ceremonial trappings of Sue Bird’s magnificent career that can now be set into motion as she begins her valedictory tour of the WNBA. Her statistical body of work, the astonishing catalog of championships she’s accrued at every level of basketball, including four here in Seattle with the Storm — those are the tangible artifacts of Bird’s legacy.
But when Bird on Thursday announced she will retire at the end of this season, it was the emotional wallop the news packed that hints at the void she will leave. After 21 years, it will simply be hard to fathom that Bird will no longer be leading the Storm up the court, as she has done with such distinction through two decades and counting. Or I should say, counting down.
