(reverent orchestral music) - I'm Starla Sampaco in the Crosscut KCTS 9 newsroom.

Whatever move Sue Bird makes next, her legacy is secure.

After the Seattle Storm's narrow loss in the WNBA playoffs, the basketball legend considers retirement, and that's okay.

Contributing columnist Samantha Allen writes that whether she retires or not, Sue Bird is already a legend.

At 40 years old, Bird herself has nothing left to prove, on paper at least.

Beginning in 1998, she has won four WNBA Championships, five Olympic gold medals, and two NCAA rings, all on top of a boatload of international honors from her time overseas.

But Bird is more than a list of accolades.

Her advocacy around a variety of issues, including gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and racial justice, has changed the world in ways that may take generations for us to fully appreciate.

I'm Starla Sampaco.

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