During her illustrious 19-year career, Sue Bird donned the Seattle Storm uniform 651 times during the playoffs and regular season. She played in the team’s final regular-season game in Seattle on Sunday afternoon, an 89-81 defeat to the Las Vegas Aces. Bird completed the game with nine points, six assists, and four rebounds.
In front of a sold-out audience that was the biggest in team history and the biggest to see a basketball game at Seattle’s Environmental Pledge Arena, the Storm honoured Sue Bird with a moving ceremony before the game.
In recognition of her many achievements, including four WNBA championships, a record 13 All-Star appearances, and leading the league in assists, Bird was also given a special ring.
Storm Honored Sue Bird With Pre-Game Ceremony:
Although the Storm already has secured a berth in the playoffs, the WNBA’s new layout raises the possibility that this will be not just her final normal game in Seattle but also her final home game overall. The Storm and Washington Mystics are in a close contest for a No. 4 seed and first-round homecourt advantage.
The first round will now be a best-of-three series, with Games 1 and 2 hosted by the higher-ranked team. There is a chance that the Storm will lose two games in Washington and be eliminated from the playoffs without earning a home game if they are the No. 5 seed. Even if it’s doubtful, the prospect made Sunday’s game much more significant for Sue Bird and the Storm supporters.
The first-round matches will be best-of-three series, with games one and two being played at home by the higher seed and game three hosted by the lower seed. The semifinals and championship game will be both best-of-five series with only a 2-2-1 format, meaning the higher seed will host Games 1, 2, and 5 while the lower seed will host Games 3 and 4.