"No player, no team, no city deserves this more than you" - Diana Taurasi on Sue Bird becoming the first WNBA player with a statue originally appeared on Basketball Network.

D iana 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.

In a ceremony before Seattle hosted the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, legendary former Storm guard Sue Bird, who led the franchise to four WNBA championships, became the first WNBA player honored with a statue outside a WNBA arena.