SUE BIRD Feature-LIKE A BIRD

Storm Showers.

By TIM DAVID HARVEY

Wings spread the hardwood floor like feathers as the ball is flying like an eagle to the courtside, corner pocket perch. Landing in the talons of one of the associations toughest and weathered assured grips we all take a moment for this player like someone was singing "the dawns early light". Everyone is out their seats too. In the time this player takes to spin settle the seams of the ball in the right creases of their hands you could have removed your hat in respect. Someone's about to be put to rest...again. This is the reason everyone got out of bed this morning. To see the purity of this early light. Dressed in green and white and residing behind 22 feet like it was their white picket fence. It may as well be...its put the payments down for that house in the suburbs. You know the colour. You know the creed. The back of the jersey reads; 'Bird' and the goose-neck lets it fly as such. All nylon. Water washed. Still as this Bird of three point perfect prey flies back down court to the honest side of the floor that famous hair is flapping around. But its sleek not scraggily. Brunette not blonde. No french-lick, just a pony-tail. Number 33, but still top ten. Like a Bird in literal name and similar game. But we aren't talking about the legend of Larry...or Nelly Furtado. Though as a player she could be a maneater. Ladies and gentlemen we are talking about one of the greatest players called Bird. One of the greatest shooters this game has seen, regardless of gender or league class. We are talking about Suzanne Bird here people.

Like Larry Bird, Sue Bird is the realest and purest thing to happen to three point shooting since not needing to use the money-ball. Bank that! Now whose coming in second place? No Johnny Cash case of a boy named Sue, but all the worth of the woman's game that's a gold standard off all these players work. No relation in name, but definitely one in game, we'd love to see these two Birds flock together in a shooting competition until the feathers fall off. It'd be like jazz...Charlie Parker. All cash money. Birdman versus Birdwoman in the unexpected virtue of ignorance. And the winner is...The Boston Celtics legend of the National Basketball Association knows how much of a winner and great his sister league star of the green and white is. Today the WNBA cameras may focus on the new star likes of Candace Parker, Maya Moore and Skylar Diggins. Just like from its birth beginnings it was exposed to the legendary likes of Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi. But between these big-threes lies the player with the most lethal three in the league. Her three ball! It all looks so beautiful. Making her the biggest part to clutch at in what was once her own Washington states big-three in team. Swin Cash may now have been collected by the debtors of the Liberty bank of New York basketball, but Aussie ruler and the best big woman WNBA basketball has ever seen, Laure Jackson is still here, down low from down under. And of course there is Sue. Ready to add even more rings to those hot hands. To spell championship you need a clutch 'C'. Or three. And B has got it. The Point Guard that goes hard.

Forecasts call for rain. This is Seattle, Washington. And this city is famous for old men snoring like its pouring, just like its famous for Nirvana and 'Frasier'. But listen to this piece of heaven sent heed. Don't worry about Seattle basketball! Reign still happens like a 100% chance of that weather for the next seven days in the city as beautiful, but drenched as long hair straight out the shower. The city hasn't seen this type of downpour since the greatest from downtown since Bird (Larry), Ray Allen shot away the final years of the green and white Supersonics. Before becoming a Boston Celtic legend too, blooming in the garden from a picturesque distance. Take a look from the vivid viewpoint of the Space-Needle and you can still see where the dunking, dynamic, dynamite duo of Supersonic legends Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton used to call home. But to see the Glove and Reignmans old Sonics team in all its throwback colours now you'd have to look all the way to Oklahoma City. Where the Thunder of that city has taken Seattle's rain and reign. Along with Kevin Durant's classic career in the making, one of the most loyal role players ever in Nick Collison and now what could be real championship glory behind the Kemp like, dunking guard dynamo of MVP candidate Russell Westbrook. Even the mistake they made with big three pillar and now Houston Rocket man James Harden doesn't even seem like a fair enough punishment from the basketball God's. This could have all been Seattle's. Now the 'Jurassic Park' visitors center looking Key Arena is extinct and 'Coach Carter', lock on the door non-existent during NBA season. When 90's golden era dinosaurs ruled the earth. The closest you could get is if you walked a few blocks round to the Queen Ann district to visit legend Shawn Kemp's Oskar's Kitchen sports-bar. You could probably use a drink.

Still even without the Thunder, there's still a Storm in Seattle. Even this time of year you can still find more than stray birds flying into the roof of Seattle's arena. You can find Sue in the Key likes big defenders working on making her shot more regular and reliable than the downtown monorail systems schedule. Working until her name 'Bird' reads in those same rooftop rafters like those tweeters, hash-tag trend or not for this association where amazing happens too. Expect and accept great. A few more banners for the forgotten Emerald city of jewels would be more important however, as Sue gets ready to drop more jewels and dimes in this scorching summer of sport that becomes a woman's world. Forget doing it in the park, this old school Point Guard that the playground would be proud of (after all this former first pick queen of Israeli descent, out of legendary UConn runs is from Queens, New York) is worthy of her place in the cement corridors of the Hall. Even more than she's worthy of her State Farm, spectacle secretary, circle of trust, commercial spot next to the Point God likes of Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Damien Lillard and the don, "Guardfather" of legendary points John Stockton. All for the complete game that's made for dream teams from American, Team USA, country duty to that club commitment of rebounding and rewriting Seattle's woken up, nightmare Basketball condition. Waking them up like the original, Seattle's best coffee in Starbucks colorways. From letting it fly like a Bird, to suing defences for big numbers from downtown this woman's bringing it all back like our fond nostalgia. The Storm logo may be reminiscent of Seattle's big basketball brother that left town for the big city likes of OKC, but in Sue Bird you have something even more reminiscent and revolutionary of this cities legendary legacy on the parquet floor. Just look at her eyes-or the fear in her opponents-as she pulls her shorts up and holds her knees for her signature pose on her dominant defence. Fitting like a Payton glove, manning his old spot and trashing opponents whilst letting her game be the thing that's doing the big talking. Its iconic for the purists. It may as well be the WNBA logo its so symbolic of what this underrated basketball city and league is all about. Bringing the name and game of her green and white, Seattle jersey back to where it belongs no one is soaring above all the dark clouds higher than this Bird. Flying high. It's time we all took wing.