PHOENIX -- During a pregame video honoring Seattle Storm star Sue Bird before her last regular-season meeting against Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury star got in one last rib.
"It's time for you to go," she said, tongue in cheek, on the big screen looming above the court in the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.
Then Taurasi proceeded to give Bird quite a going away present -- beyond the custom Jordan 1s presented to Bird before the game -- scoring 28 points while leading the Mercury to a 94-78 win in front of 14,162 people, the third-most in Mercury history.
Bird checked out of the game at the 3:20 mark of the fourth quarter with two points and five rebounds. But the stats and, to some degree, the outcome weren't the story.
The day, the game, the atmosphere were about Taurasi and Bird playing each other for the last time in the regular season before Bird retires at the end of the season.
Taurasi presented Bird with a pair of custom Jordan 1s that honor Bird and her career. Their genuine affection for each other was hard to miss. As it always is, it was on display whenever they were together on the court before tipoff.
Their hug before the two sat down for a TV interview about an hour before tip -- in which there were more smiles and laughs than questions -- was the kind of embrace you see from two best friends who haven't seen each other for a minute.
After Bird's warmup, she stopped to sign autographs on her way to the locker room. Within mere seconds, a crowd descended upon her as she inked her name on everything from mini basketballs to jerseys while doing a complete 360. It didn't matter that she was the visitor or even a West rival. She was embraced and celebrated by a mixture of Mercury and Storm fans.
Back in 2019, Taurasi, talking about being hated by fans on the road, wondered why Bird didn't receive the same reception she does.
"I know sometimes, we're getting introduced and, 'Sue Bird ...'" Taurasi said, before mimicking applause. "I'm like, 'You guys, we're in Phoenix. Will someone boo her please? S---. Why are we clapping for Sue Bird, dammit?' And I go up there, and they're throwing toilet paper at me, holy water."
Bird's greeting was no different Friday night. Except it was better. She received a standing ovation when she received the Mercury's gift and another cheer when she was introduced -- just like Taurasi complained about. This one was warranted, though.
Bird jerseys in Seattle's trademark yellow and green stood out against the purple and black Mercury threads. There was more than one of Bird's UConn jerseys in the crowd and a handful of Bird's Team USA jerseys.