Storm’s Sue Bird says she hasn’t made a decision about retirement, is tempted to play in Seattle’s new arena

Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird appeared on Manning Cast Monday night, accompanying Peyton and Eli Manning for the NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. The trio touched on a number of issues including, of course, Bird’s future.

Unsurprisingly, Bird said that one way or another she didn’t make a final decision. However, she left an interesting clue as to why she’s tempted to return for a 20th season.

Bird’s full comments:

“I don’t know, I don’t know. Fortunately, our free agency is only going to be launched for a while, so I have some time to think. I don’t know. I feel like we’ve just opened a new arena here in Seattle and me happened to be there the other day for the opening [Seattle] Kraken game. And it was tempting … the thoughts of playing there were very tempting. With that I leave you. “

The brand new Climate Pledge Arena just opened in Seattle earlier this month after years of renovation, and the game Bird was referring to was the very first home game for the NHL expansion series Seattle Kraken. Bird was one of several Seattle stars honored at the game, and the experience clearly had a moving effect on them.

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After the previous seasons have been split at the Alaska Airlines Arena on the University of Washington campus and the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, the Storm will finally have a permanent home in the Climate Pledge Arena starting next summer.

While it would be a nice bonus to play in a state-of-the-art facility, this obviously won’t be the deciding factor for Bird. The 41-year-old has been playing professional basketball since 2002 and will have to decide whether she is mentally and physically able to get going again.

Can your body withstand the games, training and travel after the season starts? And does she want to do everything in the seven-month off-season to be ready to play? These are the questions she will be thinking about over the next few weeks and months.

When the Storm knocked out the 2021 WNBA playoffs in the second round, it certainly felt like a farewell to Bird, who received a standing ovation from the Seattle crowd and swapped jerseys with longtime friend and rival Diana Taurasi. At the same time, Bird still averaged 10 points and 5.3 assists per game last season, finishing sixth in the league in the latter category. She can still play at a high level, and the Storm will be another contender for the next season, provided they also bring back free agents Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd.

Whether Bird will be there remains to be seen, but it is clear from her comments on Monday that she is considering at least one more season. The free WNBA agency officially begins on February 1st, when teams are allowed to sign players. If Bird signs up for another year, it will be out of the question with the Storm.