What a WNBA career it has been for Sue Bird with the Seattle Storm.

Despite a 97-92 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Semifinals that knocks the Storm out of contention, Bird received nothing but love from the Storm hopeful inside the Climate Pledge Arena after going out with 8 points and 8 assists, taking a backseat to the on-fire Breanna Stewart, who had 42 points in the defeat. Bird earlier announced that this will be her final season.

ā€œIt has been my honor to play for this franchise, to play for these fans,ā€ Bird paused, taking in the applause and the ā€œThank you, Sue!ā€ chants that echoed around the arena. ā€œI mean, I don't know what else to say.ā€

Sue Bird, the 41-year old guard, has played 19 seasons in the WNBA, all with the Storm and she has brought four championships into the franchise since being drafted first overall by Seattle during the 2002 WNBA Draft.

Not only is she seventh all-time on the WNBA scoring list with 6,803 points, she also leads the WNBA in all-time dimes with 3,234, 600+ more than the runner-up, Ticha Penicheiro. The legacy she's leaving with the Storm and in women's basketball is more than secure.

ā€œI just hope the next person that comes in and plays point guard here can just keep the tradition going. Keep the winning going, keep that championship level going, keep these fans happy. Same goes for the rest of the team as well, but I don't know, I hope I made everybody in here proud.ā€

Bird was being modest; of course the entire Storm fanbase and even the most casual WNBA fan are proud of her accomplishments. In addition to her accolades already mentioned above, Bird is also a 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist, a 13-time WNBA All-Star, and a 5-time All-WNBA First Team selection.

Stewart will give the Storm as good a franchise cornerstone as any following Sue Bird's departure, but the leadership and playmaking that Bird brought to the table will not be easy to replace at all. There will be big shoes to be filled in Seattle next season, but for now Storm fans will be thankful for everything Bird has done.

Congratulations on the retirement, Sue Bird!