Shortly before a bronze statue of Sue Bird was unveiled outside Climate Pledge Arena, an onlooking fan chimed in during a brief moment of silence. “You’re the GOAT, Sue!”

The eighth-ranked Storm fell to the fourth-ranked Mercury 85-82 on Sunday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 14,169 at Climate Pledge Arena.

"Sue's legacy isn't just written in championships — it's woven into the fabric of Seattle," Storm president Alisha Valavanis said in July when the organization first announced Bird's statue.