Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird share a strong connection as great teammates and fierce rivals. Both legendary players have left an indelible mark on the WNBA, and while playing together for Team USA, they won five Olympic gold medals. Brid’s achievements have been outstanding, and none have gone unnoticed.
In July, the Seattle Storm announced they would honor Sue Bird with a statue at Climate Pledge Arena. Many were excited and happy for Bird, including Diana Taurasi. Just before the unveiling of the statue, the league’s leading scorer had some special words for the Storm icon.
Diana Taurasi Drops Special Message For Sue Bird
Taurasi and Bird played for UConn in their collegiate years, forming an early bond before becoming pros. While Seattle took Sue Bird as the first overall pick in 2002, Taurasi entered the league as the top pick in 2004 with the Phoenix Mercury. Since then, there has been a healthy rivalry between these two talented stars.
The bronze statue was unveiled on August 17 ahead of the Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury game. Diana Taurasi, who was also present for the event, had a heartfelt message for her national teammate.
“Sue, Congratulations. No player, no team, no city deserves this more than you. You bring championships, joy, you changed the game. We love you, and I can’t wait to see this statue,” Taurasi said to Sue Bird.
The 13-time All-Star won four championships with Seattle before retiring in 2022. She also led the team to the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup title. Seattle has already retired its iconic number 10 jersey, and now, with its current gesture, it has made the guard the first WNBA player to have a statue in an arena. The Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark also reacted to the statue announcement on social media.
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Sue Bird Reflects On Having A Statue Before Diana Taurasi
Having a statue gives any player an ‘immortal’ status, and Sue Bird received the honor of being the first one from the league. In her comments, she acknowledged the significance of the statue, not just as a personal achievement but as a symbol of progress for women’s basketball and a promise for future recognition of WNBA stars.
While an interviewer asked her about going ‘One-up’ against DT with the statue, the four-time champion smiled and said, “Until she gets hers. The only time we ever like talk about going one up, it was like over bowling, no but I cant imagine a world in which she doesn’t get a statue.”
Sue Bird won four WNBA championships and five Olympic gold medals, while the Mercury star won three WNBA championships and six gold medals. Now that the Seattle icon has hinted at a statue for Taurasi, fans will await this announcement.