Around 30 minutes after Sue Bird capped off her self-described “fairy tale” final game in New York City this past June, the Syosset, N.Y., native and Seattle Storm veteran returned to the Barclays Center floor one last time. Still in uniform, the WNBA legend greeted dozens of fans waiting for her and shared warm embraces, signed autographs and posed for pictures. When a group photograph with her supporters was snapped, with Bird standing front and center, those behind her belted out “Sue” after a three-two-one countdown.
Witnessing the moment a few dozen rows up in the arena’s media seating was a reminder to me of the impact a WNBA player can have on people of various ages, of various backgrounds and in different cities. As Lynx star center Sylvia Fowles embarked on a farewell tour of her own this summer before retirement, she also received a sendoff befitting of the WNBA’s “player for the people,” serving as reminders of Fowles’ impact — and the sport’s, more broadly.
Stories, too, can be impactful. As I join The Athletic as a women’s basketball writer, I hope every story I try to tackle resonates with you, the readers, so that it lingers like a photograph you won’t want to forget. Over the past few years at Sports Illustrated, I’ve written on a
