Sue Bird Received A Monster Ovation (And A Flower From A Young Fan) In Her Final Regular Season Home Game

The Seattle Storm will end the 2022 WNBA regular season with three consecutive road games. That means Sunday afternoon is an important one in the Pacific Northwest, as the team’s game against the Las Vegas Aces will mark the final time that legendary guard Sue Bird will step on the floor in front of her hometown fans for a regular season contest.

Bird, who has spent her entire 21-year career with the Storm after going No. 1 overall in the 2002 WNBA Draft, announced her intention to retire at the conclusion of the season back in June. While she’ll still take the floor at Climate Pledge Arena during the postseason — the Storm have already clinched a playoff berth — Sunday was used as a chance to celebrate a legend whose laundry list of accomplishments has no parallel. And before the game, the Storm surprised Bird by having her family line the tunnel as she made her way to the floor.

Before the game, Bird received a gigantic ovation from a record crowd — the team announced that more than 18,000 fans packed into the stadium, the most that have ever been in attendance for a Storm home game.

One fan, in particular, wanted to take an extra moment to express her gratitude for Bird, as she handed the four-time WNBA champion a flower right before she inbounded the ball during the first quarter.