Megan Rapinoe was on hand Sunday to help the Seattle Storm retire Sue Bird’s No. 10 jersey.
Bird retired from the WNBA at the end of the 2022 season. She spent 20 years in the pros and has many accolades to her credit. Bird was a two-time national champion at UConn before becoming a four-time WNBA champion and a five-time Olympic gold medalist.
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Sue Bird arrives during her jersey retirement ceremony following a WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
She was a 13-time All-Star, a five-time All-WNBA First Team member, and was named to the WNBA 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th Anniversary Teams.
Rapinoe praised Bird’s career as «arguably the best» of anyone in sports.
«Congratulations on possibly the greatest career anyone has ever had in the history of any sport,» Rapinoe said at the ceremony in Seattle.
Megan Rapinoe poses with her partner, former Seattle Storm player Sue Bird, during the Seattle Storm vs. Washington Mystics game on Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
But his statement sparked a debate on Twitter. While Bird is headed for the Basketball Hall of Fame in a few years, basketball fans took one look at his stat line and disagreed. Bird averaged 11.7 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 580 career WNBA games with similar numbers in the playoffs.
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Rapinoe can be a bit biased. She and Bird have been together since 2017 and got engaged in October 2020. The two spoke to People in March 2022 about planning the wedding.
«Ironically, this is, like I said, honestly, the alignment of the stars seems to be the issue,» Bird told the outlet. «We’re thinking about having a wedding in Mexico maybe. So there will definitely be Coronas on deck. I can count on that for sure.»
Megan Rapinoe sings for her teammate Sue Bird during a Bird jersey retirement ceremony, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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While Bird may have a little more time on her hands, Rapinoe is about to enter her peak season. Along with the National Women’s Soccer League in full swing, she will look to help USA Women return to a World Cup championship.