On a summer afternoon in Seattle, fans gathered outside Climate Pledge Arena to witness a moment they’ll never forget. The Seattle Storm pulled the curtain back on an eight-foot bronze statue of Sue Bird, making her the first WNBA player ever immortalized in this way.
For a city that watched her lead the Storm for 21 seasons, the monument is more than just a tall statue. It is another way of saying thank you, cast in bronze, to the player who gave Seattle two decades of loyalty, championships, and unforgettable memories.
What makes this tribute so powerful is that it perfectly captures Bird’s legacy. She was a record-setting point guard, the heartbeat of the Storm, guiding them to four championships and redefining what leadership looked like in the WNBA. Now, with her likeness standing outside the arena, Bird’s presence in Seattle lives on.
Sue Bird Became The First WNBA Icon To Get A Bronze Statue
On August 17, 2025, the Seattle Storm unveiled an eight-foot bronze statue of Sue Bird outside Climate Pledge Arena—making her the first WNBA player honored with a statue by her franchise and the first female athlete with a statue in the city of Seattle. Sculpted by Julie Rotblatt-Amrany of the Rotblatt-Amrany Studio, the 650-pound piece captures Bird finishing a layup.
If no one noticed it, that pose wasn’t just a random leap towards the rim. With the particular shot, Bird scored both her first WNBA points as a rookie and her final points in 2022 on layups, a detail she asked the artist to preserve. The statue stands near the Lenny Wilkens monument at the arena’s southwest plaza.
Sue Bird became the first WNBA player to receive a statue from her franchise 👏👏
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) August 17, 2025
Her statue features the Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 PEs she wore during her first WNBA Championship season in 2004 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t40UCLm6iZ
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The idea of a statue had circulated inside the organization after the Storm’s 2018 championship and gathered steam when the arena reopened for Bird’s final season. By the time she retired, Seattle had already retired her No. 10 (2023) and renamed the street outside the arena “Sue Bird Court.”
City, county, and state leaders then proclaimed the unveiling date “Sue Bird Day.” Bird collaborated with the sculptor on small but telling touches, down to the Nike Air Zoom Huaraches she wore during the Storm’s first title run and her first Olympic gold in 2004. That’s a hell of detailing on the larger-than-life feature.
Why Is Sue Bird’s Bronze Statue Significant?
Despite all this, a valid question might arise: why Sue Bird, and why now? That would need a good explanation, and two decades of excellence make the case. She spent her entire WNBA career in Seattle, leading the Storm to four championships and setting league records for assists (3,234), games, and minutes, while also becoming the franchise’s all-time scoring leader (6,803).
When statues do athletes justice >>>
— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) August 17, 2025
They did an amazing job on Sue Bird’s pic.twitter.com/neJs0mcEWD
She was a record 13-time All-Star and heading to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2025. Importantly, this statue marks a first at a WNBA arena. However, for previous women’s basketball stars’ statues, like A’ja Wilson’s at South Carolina, the colleges commissioned them, not pro teams.
Bird’s bronze places a WNBA icon alongside Seattle’s other greats at a major venue, signaling the standard for how women’s pro careers should be celebrated going forward.