More than nine months have passed since Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles played their final WNBA games. The legends retired after the 2022 season, Bird on Sept. 6 when her Seattle Storm were eliminated at home in the WNBA semifinals, and Fowles on Aug. 14 when her Minnesota Lynx lost their regular-season finale, which eliminated them from playoff contention.
On Sunday, the Storm and Lynx will retire Bird’s and Fowles’ jerseys in separate ceremonies.
Fowles played 15 seasons in the WNBA after being drafted second overall in 2008. The league’s all-time leading rebounder and the only player with more than 4,000 boards, Fowles also holds the WNBA record for career double-doubles (193). She was the 2017 WNBA MVP, helped lead Minnesota to the 2015 and 2017 league titles and was named the WNBA Finals MVP during both championship runs.
Bird, the No. 1 overall pick in 2002, played 19 WNBA seasons — all in Seattle — and retired as the league’s career leader in assists (3,234) and games (580). She helped guide the Storm to four titles and was chosen an All-Star a record 13 times.
But their impact extends far beyond statistics. Heading into Sunday’s celebrations, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou and M.A. Voepel examine each players’ legacy and share how Bird and Fowles impacted the game and,…
