Seattle Storm

Sue Bird isn't ready for retirement yet.

The 12-time WNBA All-Star announced she plans to return for her 19th season with the Seattle Storm in an Instagram post Friday.

The Storm posted a tweet welcoming Bird back, but it was later deleted. While it is a virtual certainty that Bird will stay in Seattle, her WNBA home since being drafted in 2002, she cannot technically re-sign until the free-agency period begins next Saturday.

Bird thought about retirement after the Storm were eliminated in the second round of the 2021 WNBA playoffs. She said it was the first time she seriously contemplated leaving the game. 

"I've been really trying to push away those thoughts," Bird told reporters in September. "The minute I even let myself think about it, it makes me want to cry. This is the first offseason where I feel like I need to weigh it. Usually, I'm like, 'Nope, one more year if I feel good, I'll be there.'

"This is the first time where I'm really going to have to sit back, see how I feel, weigh some things."

Bird later said she was tempted to come back for at least one more year to get a chance to play in Seattle's redeveloped Climate Pledge Arena. She didn't miss a step during the 2021 campaign, averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 assists while making another All-Star appearance.

The Seattle Storm may have closed the chapter on a defining era for the franchise Sunday.

The Storm fell 85-80 in overtime to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the 2021 WNBA playoffs. Beyond just ending Seattle's season, it might be the final game in the career of Sue Bird.

Bird didn't provide any insight as to her immediate future, but her postgame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe felt a bit like a farewell:

Storm fans don't want this to be the last game for Sue Bird 🥺 pic.twitter.com/HoSWUyRB9Z

— ESPN (@espn) September 26, 2021

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird exchange jerseys after what could be their last time playing against each other

Legends 🙏 pic.twitter.com/DsK5Rjc7Tb

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 26, 2021

In March 2020, Bird signaled her desire to represent Team USA in Tokyo at the Summer Olympics. That effectively committed her to the Storm in 2021 as they looked to defend their WNBA title.

After having captured her fifth gold medal, there's little in the way of clear benchmarks for the 40-year-old to achieve in 2022. She's a four-time champion, 12-time All-Star and the greatest point guard in WNBA history. Bird is also a free agent this offseason, allowing her to make a clean break with the Storm.

If this was the end, then it's fitting Bird went out against Taurasi, her longtime friend and on-court rival.

The Mercury had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but Mercedes Russell denied Skylar Diggins-Smith at the buzzer.

Mercedes Russell said we're going to OT 🚫 pic.twitter.com/SRUxYyZOtK

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2021

To some extent, the Storm were fortunate just to be tied at the end of four quarters. They were without their best player, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd didn't have her shooting touch as she finished 5-of-24.

Seattle's flat offense was its undoing in overtime as the team missed 10 of its 13 field goals.

The Mercury weren't much better on balance but found a way to score when they needed to the most. 

All five of Phoenix's starters scored in double figures, with Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner combining for 43 points. Taurasi returned after missing the first round to hit a pair of big shots in overtime. Her three-pointer tied the score at the 3:39 mark, and she gave the Mercury the lead for what proved to be the final time on a fadeaway with 2:14 left.

Phoenix now awaits the results of Sunday's other contest between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx to learn its opponent in the semifinals.

The Seattle Storm will be without Breanna Stewart when they play the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the 2021 WNBA playoffs Sunday.

The team announced Saturday the 2018 MVP will be absent because of the left foot injury that ended her regular season.

Stewart hasn't stepped on the court since Seattle's 105-71 victory over the Washington Mystics on Sept. 7. Head coach Noelle Quinn said she wanted the 27-year-old to shake off the rust in practice before she rejoins the lineup.

"I just think you have to get some time on the court in a team setting to get bumped around and make sure everything is good," Quinn said, per Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. "When you've been out as long as she has, I don't know if you can just flip a switch and jump back in it."

Losing Natasha Howard, Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb this offseason has seemed to catch up to the Storm. The defending champions went 5-6 following the Commissioner's Cup final.

Heading into the Olympic break, Seattle owned the second-best net rating (8.2) in the league, per WNBA.com. The team was fifth in net rating (minus-0.4) after the season resumed.

Quinn's squad did, however, close out the regular season with a 94-85 win over the Mercury. Replicating the recipe that led to that victory will be difficult, though. Ezi Magbegor and Mercedes Russell combined for 29 points, while Jewell Loyd dropped a career-high 37 points.

Stewart led the team in scoring (20.3 points per game), but her absence is likely to be felt most on the boards and at the defensive end (team highs of 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game).

The Storm will be asking a lot of Magbegor and Russell to contain Brittney Griner inside.

The Seattle Storm were honored Monday at the White House by President Joe Biden to commemorate their 2020 WNBA championship.

They were the first WNBA team since the Minnesota Lynx in June 2016 to travel to the nation's capital for a celebratory visit.

Say Champs! 📸🏆@POTUS takes a selfie with the @seattlestorm. pic.twitter.com/YFZv3sJpdG

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 23, 2021

👋 Hello, @POTUS! 👋 pic.twitter.com/3UIVIcuXzh

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 23, 2021

As part of their trip, the Storm said they would meet with the White House Gender Policy Council to help advocate for social justice causes and raise awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The WNBA has set the standard for major sports leagues in terms of social advocacy.

Throughout the 2020 season, members of the Storm and every other WNBA player wore Breonna Taylor's name on the back of their jerseys. Taylor was shot and killed by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020.

Players across the league also began supporting Raphael Warnock's candidacy for the United States Senate after then-Atlanta Dream co-governor Kelly Loeffler criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. Warnock beat Loeffler in a runoff election in January.

While speaking about the franchise, Biden highlighted Seattle's achievements away from the court, per ESPN's Kelly Cohen:

And what makes this team remarkable is they don't just win games. They change lives. Encouraging people to get vaccinated so we can beat this pandemic. Speaking out and standing up for racial justice and voting rights. Supporting education and mentorship programs for young people. And fighting to protect trans youth from an epidemic of violence and discrimination. That's what winners do: They shine the light, they lift people up, they're a force for change.

Biden is an alumnus of Syracuse University and couldn't help but press Breanna Stewart on why the 2018 WNBA MVP spurned her hometown school for UConn:

.@S10Bird, @breannastewart, & @jewellloyd present @POTUS with an honorary @seattlestorm jersey 🧡💚 pic.twitter.com/GHhFCngXld

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 23, 2021

Before too long, the Storm might be seeing the Oval Office once again. 

Seattle is 18-7 through 25 games and won the inaugural Commissioner's Cup earlier this month. The team is the second betting favorite (+220; bet $100 to win $220) behind the Las Vegas Aces (+210) to win the 2021 WNBA Finals, per FanDuel.

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The Seattle Storm will visit the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday to celebrate their 2020 WNBA championship.

Invitation accepted! 💯

We’re excited to celebrate our 2020 @WNBA Championship at the White House on August 23! 🏆#StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/MESIo45ZbD

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 19, 2021

According to the team, the trip will encompass more than honoring last season's triumph: "Before the ceremony, Storm players will participate in a conversation with members of the White House Gender Policy Council and work with the White House to record messages of support for gender, racial and LGBTQ+ equality, voting rights, and pro-vaccination."

Seattle swept the Las Vegas Aces in the 2020 Finals for its second championship in three seasons. The Storm didn't make the trip to the nation's capital after their 2018 WNBA title.

They were among multiple major sports champions who declined to partake in or simply weren't invited for the traditional event during Donald Trump's presidency. The Minnesota Lynx in June 2016 are the last WNBA team to make the trek; President Barack Obama left office the following January.

The issue was especially personal for Storm legend Sue Bird given Trump's particular animus toward now-fiancee Megan Rapinoe. She penned a 2019 essay for The Players' Tribune titled, "So the President F--king Hates My Girlfriend."

Bird told the Associated Press' Doug Feinberg the arrival of Joe Biden in the Oval Office made a White House visit more palatable:

Now that it’s back in a place where it’s considered an honor and you’re recognized by the highest office in the country is exciting, it’s fun. It’s not just about meeting the president or hopefully the vice president is there. It’s about the whole experience of being in the White House. Having a day that’s about your team and celebrating what you’ve accomplished.

The timing of Monday's celebration lines up with the 16-7 Storm's road game against the Washington Mystics (8-13) on Sunday. They'll then head west to play the Lynx (13-9) in Minneapolis on Tuesday.

Seattle Storm head coach Dan Hughes is retiring with immediate effect.

"The Seattle Storm is in amazing shape, after two championships and a terrific playoff run in 2019, I would like to announce my retirement from the WNBA," Hughes said in Sunday's announcement. "I believe now is the right time because the team is performing well, but the rigors of being a head coach in the WNBA have taken their toll on me."

Storm co-governor Lisa Brummel praised Hughes' work on the sideline:

Heart of a Champion 💚💛🏆#TakeCover pic.twitter.com/KPQ4N6LVaD

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) May 30, 2021

Associate head coach Noelle Quinn will take over as Seattle's head coach.

Congratulations to Noelle Quinn on being named the seventh head coach in Seattle Storm history! ⛈👊#TakeCover pic.twitter.com/DIFV0jjY9d

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) May 30, 2021

Hughes referenced his health as playing a role in his decision.

The 66-year-old announced ahead of the 2019 season he had been diagnosed with cancer, which forced him out for a spell that year. He then chose to sit out the 2020 campaign because of COVID-19-related reasons when the WNBA staged an abbreviated regular season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

As a result, Gary Kloppenburg is officially recognized as Seattle's head coach during its championship run, though Hughes did his best to provide input from his home in Ohio.

Because of that, Hughes is credited with one WNBA title as a head coach, guiding the Storm to a Finals victory over the Washington Mystics in 2018. He's also a two-time Coach of the Year, first with the Cleveland Rockers in 2001 and then the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2007. His 286 wins are tied for third-most in WNBA history.

Quinn will now have the difficult task of maintaining the success Hughes delivered in the Pacific Northwest.

Despite losing Natasha Howard, Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb in the offseason, the Storm sit second in the WNBA at 5-1. Breanna Stewart is averaging a double-double (22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds), while Jewell Loyd is herself building an MVP campaign, putting 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

A third WNBA title in four years seems a plausible aim.

Quinn has plenty of continuity with this roster, having been a part of the championship-winning squad in 2018 before taking over as an assistant in February 2019. Given her age, the 36-year-old could be leading the franchise for many seasons to come.

Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart announced Wednesday that she has signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Puma.

Excited to officially join the @PUMAHoops Fam! 🐾  #SheMovesUs pic.twitter.com/cQKYZs8Ghz

— Stewie (@breannastewart) May 12, 2021

The deal includes a signature shoe for the 2018 WNBA MVP, which will make Stewart the 10th WNBA player to have her own shoe.

"Any time you hear signature, I think that's jaw-dropping, eye-opening, especially on the women's side," Stewart said to ESPN's Nick DePaula. "There haven't been many. ... For Puma to be able to put the signature element out there, [and] respect me enough where they think that I deserve a signature shoe, is something that's super exciting."

The Ringer's Mirin Fader reported Stewart, who has previously been with Nike since entering the WNBA in 2016 will have input on the design, branding and colorways.

Stewart explained to DePaula she is planning for the shoe to be a low top with cushion for the Achilles tendon. The 26-year-old two-time All-Star missed the entire 2019 WNBA season after rupturing her Achilles while playing overseas in EuroLeague Women.

She returned in 2020 to average 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists as the Storm swept the Las Vegas Aces for their second title in three seasons. The 6'4" forward was the Finals MVP for a second time.

The success of Stewart's shoe could open the door for more WNBA players to get their own signature brand.

"Where others saw a risk, Puma took advantage of it," Stewart told Fader. "Women's basketball players deserve to have signature shoes.

"We're going to be helping move the needle forward for women in sports and women's basketball."

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu was the most hyped rookie to enter the league since Stewart. While DePaula wrote in March how Ionescu was going to play a prominent role in Nike's new Greater Than sneaker line, he clarified it wasn't a design unique to the former Oregon star.

Much like second-year New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson already having his own shoe, Ionescu would be a natural candidate from the WNBA because of her early stardom. Other stars such as A'ja Wilson, Elena Delle Donne and Arike Ogunbowale could also have strong cases.

The Seattle Storm have added another weapon to their lineup after announcing the signing of free-agent forward Candice Dupree.

The seven-time WNBA All-Star finished last season averaging 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Indiana Fever.

Dupree discussed joining a team that already won the championship last year in the team's official release:

"I can't tell you how excited I am to have to have an opportunity to play for the Seattle Storm. To be 15 years in and have an opportunity to play for a contender and compete for a back to back championship is awesome. I look forward to playing alongside some of the best in the game and bringing another championship back to the great city of Seattle."

Dupree has one career championship in 15 WNBA seasons, coming in 2014 with the Phoenix Mercury.

The 36-year-old has accomplished even more individually, averaging 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds over her career. She currently ranks fifth in WNBA history with 6,728 points, seventh all-time with 3,066 rebounds and has more two-point field goals than anyone else in league history.

By averaging double-digit points for the 15th straight year in 2020, Dupree showed she isn't slowing down either.

She joins a team that swept the Minnesota Lynx on the way to a title last season after tying for the best record in the league at 18-4.

Seattle re-signed Sue Bird and return key players like Breanna Stewart and Jewell Lloyd, while Natasha Howard was designated a core player. Even with this group, the squad still needed reinforcements after losing Alysha Clark to free agency, while Crystal Langhorne announced her retirement Monday.

Dupree fills a need in the post while giving the Storm another veteran presence to make this a tough team to beat in 2021.

WNBA star Sue Bird is staying in Seattle.

The 40-year-old has agreed in principle to re-sign with the Seattle Storm, with whom she won her fourth WNBA title last season, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. She has played all 17 years of her career with the franchise.

Since being drafted No. 1 overall of Connecticut in 2002, Bird has gone on to collect 11 All-Star nods and four Olympic gold medals. She is a five-time All-WNBA First Team selection. 

After a quieter regular-season campaign in which she tallied 9.8 points in 23.4 minutes per game—career lows in both—Bird broke out in the WNBA Finals as the Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces in three games. She dished 16 assists in Game 1, a championship series record, and then recorded a double-double (16 points, 10 assists) in Game 2. 

Bird has appeared in 519 games, the most by any player in league history. Her 2,888 career assists are also a league record. She ranks eighth all-time in points scored with 6,262. 

While Bird is returning, the Storm will be operating without Alysha Clark, who is headed to the Washington Mystics after nine seasons in Seattle. 

WNBA free agency opened Jan. 15, and teams can officially sign players Monday.

If anyone knows what it's like to make history, it's Sue Bird. 

That's why she was such a natural choice when it came to CarMax becoming the first automotive retailer in history to partner with the WNBA. The Seattle Storm point guard will be featured in its "Call Your Shot" series that stresses the importance of shopping for cars on the buyer's terms as part of the partnership.

"First and foremost, it's super exciting," Bird told Bleacher Report when asked about working with CarMax. "The 'Call Your Shot' Campaign is something I'm looking forward to because I think you see everything. It's got humor in it, but it's also a great way to get the CarMax message out, which is really about empowerment. Empowering people to have the opportunity to shop and buy on their terms, allow flexible options—the experience is amazing. I think the word empowerment also goes hand in hand with the women of the WNBA so, like I said, for me it's really exciting."

Basketball fans will recognize the campaign from past commercials featuring NBA players such as Chris Bosh, Zach LaVine, Seth Curry and others.

While it is all about eliminating the pressures of car shopping with no-haggle prices and the ability to buy online or at one of CarMax's 225 stores nationwide, Bird was excited about the opportunity to make history.

"It's always an honor to be the first for anything, and I think that this really shows how forward-thinking CarMax is," she said. "Being the first WNBA player and being that this is the first partnership with our league, there's nothing like making history. I'm all for it, and that's just how I look at it."

Making history is exactly what Bird did inside the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, when she and the Storm took home the championship by sweeping the Las Vegas Aces in October's WNBA Finals.

It was Bird's fourth title in her 17 seasons, and she dazzled with a record 16 assists in Game 1 and a double-double of 16 points and 10 dimes in Game 2. She was the general in charge of it all for the champions and connected on timely shots, played key perimeter defense, and consistently set up Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd in perfect scoring situations.

“Assists are a two-person thing and tonight those two (Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd) played amazing.”

Sue Bird (@S10Bird) reacts to setting the record for most assists (16) in a #WNBAFinals game during Seattle’s win. pic.twitter.com/PGqdgFzMoM

— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 3, 2020

It was all the more impressive that she did so after missing the 2019 WNBA season because of knee surgery.

Still, Bird said winning the championship was not the most important or memorable thing of her bubble experience:

"The truth is, I think this championship will go down in history for me for so many reasons, and none of them have to do with actually winning. [Winning] was like the icing on the cake. What we were able to do and what we were able to accomplish as a league, the stances we were able to take in terms of social justice, keeping 'Say her name' at the forefront, Black Lives Matter ... we did some wonderful work in terms of the Georgia Senate race ... so there was just a lot that happened this summer that we can all be really proud of, and again, as a member of the Seattle Storm, we've got this little extra special cherry on top which comes in the form of a trophy. Which listen, I'll take anytime, but it was less about that this summer."

WNBA players wore messages such as Black Lives Matter on their jerseys and warm-ups, used their platforms in postgame press conferences to call for justice for George Floyd, Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor and so many more impacted by police brutality and systemic racism, and they kept the issues on the forefront by not playing games in the immediate aftermath of the police shooting of Blake.

Many were also vocal when it came to Georgia Sen. and Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler.

Loeffler criticized the WNBA for supporting Black Lives Matter, and many players called for the league to oust her from her role with the Dream. Many also wore shirts with the phrase "Vote Warnock" in reference to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, who ran against Loeffler for her seat as a Senator in November.

Asking myself the same question https://t.co/4AbLp3vF9C

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) July 3, 2020

Don't boo...VOTE 🗳

Register to vote at https://t.co/zXnPqmFZQ7 #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/4yMmEqgXMS

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 4, 2020

A January runoff will determine the race between Warnock and Loeffler, and Dream forward Elizabeth Williams told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that it was Bird who initially thought of the idea to wear the shirts supporting the former.

There is no doubt Bird is a leader both on and off the court, which has earned her recognition from many of her peers.

The King himself, LeBron James, gave her a shoutout on Instagram after she dished out 16 assists in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson wore her jersey before an October win over the Minnesota Vikings and sat down with the WNBA star for an interview on ESPN's NFL Countdown.

.@KingJames and @S10Bird still breaking records 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ZDYFlrH5wC

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 4, 2020

Champs! @seattlestorm @S10Bird #Seattle pic.twitter.com/tKocTBbojE

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) October 11, 2020

🐐 The People’s Champ! 🐐

Thanks @TripleH and @WWE for the new hardware! 💪 pic.twitter.com/c79GmNyflL

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) December 10, 2020

"It means a lot," Bird said of the praise she has received from fellow athletes. "I think when you have any athlete of an elite level, they really can see the hard work you have put into it, and they have a different level of appreciation because they know and they have experienced it."

Recognition from athletes such as James and Wilson was also important in Bird's eyes because it helps elevate women's sports. 

"I think as it kind of pertains to being a female athlete and having our male counterparts give us that praise, that does have a little bit of an extra special meaning because it helps change the conversation," she said. "I think a lot of the time for female athletes, and athletes in general in the female world, a lot of the conversation surrounding us has been in this negative light, sadly. People like to tell us to 'get back in the kitchen' and all kinds of lovely jokes, so to have the Russell Wilsons and the LeBron Jameses just acknowledge us, it just helps change that conversation, which long term has major effects for us."

It is no wonder so many have appreciated her greatness.

After all, she is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, a two-time collegiate champion at Connecticut who won the Naismith Player of the Year before she was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2002 WNBA draft, an 11-time All-Star and a four-time champion.

The question now is what is next for someone who has accomplished it all on the court.

"That's the plan," she said when asked if she is coming back in 2021 to help the Storm defend their crown. "I've been joking for the last four years that I am on these one-year plans, so I think I am signed up for another. I don't know, call me crazy, but I'm going to try and do it."

She also said she wants to win another gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics but knows how much work maintaining excellence requires.

"I know that all of those goals fall on me taking care of myself, taking care of my body and trying to put myself in a position to play on an elite level, and that's where you have those lofty goals, but then you gotta bring it back to the day-to-day work," she said. "It's cliche, but I really am just trying to control what I can. But on top of that, continuing all the work we did this summer and not taking our foot off the gas either. A lot to look forward to in 2021."

It seems as if making history with CarMax will be part of a busy year for the legendary Bird.