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Diana Taurasi was among those in attendance to watch best friend and long-time rival Sue Bird become the first WNBA player to receive a statue from the franchise they played for. Bird, who spent all 21 years of her Hall of Fame career with the Storm, was immortalized outside the Climate Pledge Arena with a bronze statue of her going for a layup.
During’s Bird career, she went up against Taurasi, her former UConn teammate and a fellow WNBA all-time great, a whopping 46 times. Over their careers, both former No. 1 picks fully lived up to their potential by winning multiple WNBA championships and becoming perennial All-Stars.
On Sunday, it was Taurasi that got to pay tribute to Bird’s incredible career at the statue unveiling, which perfectly took place before a matchup between the Storm and Mercury.
“No one deserves it more than Sue,” Taurasi said. “No player, no city. What she’s done for Seattle and the love that they’ve shown back, that’s what sports is about. Loyalty. Competition. And Sue does all of that.”
“That’s what sports is about. Loyalty. Competition. And Sue does all of that.” 🧡
From one best friend to the other, Diana Taurasi shares what Sue Bird’s statue, that she has deemed the “ultimate one up”, means to the city of Seattle! pic.twitter.com/dDVUxg4a64
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 17, 2025
From leading UConn to national championships, playing professional basketball together in Russia, winning five Olympic gold medals for Team USA to all their WNBA matchups between the Storm and Mercury, few have experienced more together on the court than Bird and Taurasi. Though Sunday was about celebrating Bird, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s in Phoenix in honor of a statue for Taurasi.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
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