Tag: Sue Bird

4-time WNBA champion Sue Bird joins Seattle Storm ownership group

Bird played 20 seasons with the Storm and is now part of the ownership group of her beloved team.

Force 10 Hoops, which owns the Seattle Storm, recently announced that WNBA legend Sue Bird has joined its ownership group. Bird played 19 seasons with the Storm, and her career included four WNBA championships, 13 All-Star Game appearances, eight All-WNBA teams and five Olympic gold medals. She retired at the end of 2022 after an illustrious career, both in college and the WNBA, but her business ventures were only getting started.

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” said Bird. “Investing in women’s sports isn’t just about passion; it’s smart business. It’s about recognizing the immense talent, dedication, and market potential our league has always had.”

This is the second professional sports team Bird has invested in, the first being the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022. Bird and her wife, legendary United States women’s national team soccer player Megan Rapinoe, launched the production company A Touch More in 2022. In 2021, she co-founded the media production company Togethxr, alongside U.S. national team player Alex Morgan, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel.

The ownership announcement comes less than a week after the Storm unveiled their new center for basketball performance, the “first dedicated WNBA practice facility designed and built from the ground up.” It is a $64 million, 50,000-square-foot practice facility and team headquarters.

“Together, we’re not just shaping the future of basketball, but also paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive society,” Bird said.

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Rapinoe and Bird’s production company announces first scripted series

The legendary ex-pro athletes will serve as executive producers on ‘Cleat Cute’

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s production company, A Touch More, has announced it is developing its first scripted TV series.

Bird and Rapinoe will serve as executive producers on an adaptation of the best-selling novel “Cleat Cute” from author Meryl Wilsner.

According to a press release, the novel “follows a young soccer player as she juggles being the new rookie player, her goals of making the national team, and a budding romance with her team captain.”

Bird and Rapinoe added: “We are thrilled to be working with Future Shack [Entertainment] to bring Meryl Wilsner’s wonderful book to life. Having spent most of our lives on teams, we want to celebrate the ways in which relationships, both romantic and platonic, are organically created through sports.

“‘Cleat Cute’ will not shy away from the messiness, occasional frustration, and undeniable beauty that come with loving the game and the players within it.”

“Cleat Cute” will be the first foray into scripted TV for A Touch More, which Bird and Rapinoe founded in 2022.

A Touch More was also part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcast “Pink Card,” a series that followed women in Iran fighting for the right to watch soccer.

The company was founded with the aim of amplifying stories from  underrepresented communities, including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and women.

Rapinoe retired last year at the end of a decorated career in which she became one of the all-time greats for the U.S. women’s national team. Similarly, Bird retired in 2022 after becoming one of the WNBA’s greatest ever players.

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Why Sue Bird is predicting JuJu Watkins will be one of the best college basketball players ever

Sue Bird is saying the quiet parts out loud. Everybody needs a ticket to the JuJu Watkins show.

Remember in January of this year when I said JuJu Watkins isn’t Caitlin Clark, but she’s not far behind? Well, it’s time for another reminder that while the whole country is seemingly going wild over Caitlin (as they should), JuJu Watkins is quietly putting on a freshman campaign for the ages. Her game is getting so hard to ignore that Sue Bird is now watching.

I get it. Caitlin Clark is THE moment and the proverbial measuring stick for women’s college basketball dominance. Still, since the beginning of the season, I have been saying that this year’s freshman class is built differently. That class also includes a one-player wrecking crew named JuJu Watkins.

In case you aren’t familiar with her game, JuJu has 13 Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards, 10 games of 30 or more points, made this week’s women’s basketball starting five and recently dropped 51 points in a game that earned her immediate Caitlin Clark comparisons.

SHE IS A FRESHMAN DOING THIS SORCERY ON A BASKETBALL COURT.

Sue Bird seems to understand how unique JuJu’s game is because she also brought up JuJu during a recent podcast episode where she discussed Caitlin.

Per Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, this is the nugget Sue dropped:

“There are other players right now in college basketball where you can feel excitement. JuJu Watkins is killing it at USC and could arguably end up being one of the best players ever. I’m not saying that loosely; it’s because of the way she is starting her career.”

Sue Bird explains how Caitlin Clark can separate herself in the WNBA and become an All-Star

Sue Bird is all in on Caitlin Clark tearing up the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark is the most prolific scorer in women’s college basketball, and she’s catching the attention of the sports world one logo 3-pointer at a time. Her deep shooting abilities are part of why future Hall of Famer Sue Bird predicts Clark’s popularity will translate to the WNBA, and she’ll be an All-Star during her rookie year.

For weeks on end, basketball fans have been talking about Caitlin Clark. Her game has brought national attention to the Iowa Hawkeyes, and she’s even gotten high praise from basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, who called her the greatest women’s college basketball player ever. Sue Bird, another basketball legend, has also been watching Clark. She appeared on ESPN shortly after Caitlin broke the NCAA scoring record to share how she wasn’t surprised about the Iowa Star’s dominance.

Now, Bird is doubling down on her compliments for Clark with a prediction. Per Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, during an upcoming episode on the Sports Media Podcast, Sue shared why she thinks Caitlin’s skillset and inevitable transition to the WNBA could mean All-Star honors during her rookie season.

Here’s what she said:

“I think if she plays up to her potential, yes, that’s realistic,” Bird said. “And, by the way, that’s not a knock on anyone in the WNBA. It’s going to be hard, but I think she can do it. You do have to see what happens when they get there. You are now playing against adults, and this is their career. But I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early, and I think a lot of it comes down to her long-distance shooting. That is her separator. You’re not really used to guarding people out there.”

Sue Bird said that Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry’s 3-point contest should’ve had a woman in the announcing crew

Sue Bird thinks the NBA screwed up with its announcers for Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry.

Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu’s iconic three-point contest should’ve been a fantastic celebration of basketball. Two of the best shooters in the world, in two different leagues, meeting up for a fun shootout from deep in Indianapolis? What more could you ask for?

A thoughtful woman’s announcer next to Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan might have been a great start. That’s according to Sue Bird.

Instead of gushing about the contrasting styles and dynamic energy Curry and Ionescu bring to the court, Kenny Smith was rightfully pilloried for suggesting Ionescu should’ve shot behind the women’s standard three-point line even though she only lost by three. Also, her final score of 26 was equal to Damian Lillard’s winning total during the other three-point contest.

Surely not a coincidence, Bird appreciated the final results of Curry and Ionescu’s duel but lamented that there wasn’t a woman’s voice offering a nuanced perspective:

The league should learn a valuable lesson from this moment since this probably won’t be the only time an NBA and WNBA star square off in an All-Star Weekend event. Have an insightful booth featuring both perspectives, and everyone can just zero in on the fun.

Sue Bird on Celtics icon Bill Russell’s impact on basketball, Seattle sports

“When Bill Russell did pass it was incredibly sad, but also a wonderful time to remember all that he has done for the sport of basketball,” said Bird

The basketball community mourned the loss of Bill Russell a little more than a year ago. He was a revered figure in the sport’s and civil rights history, evoking a mix of sadness and appreciation. Renowned as a trailblazing star on the court in her own right, WNBA luminary Sue Bird reflected on Russell’s passing and his profound influence on the game and the wider world in a recent interview with Landon Buford.

“When Bill Russell did pass it was incredibly sad, but also a wonderful time to remember all that he has done for the sport of basketball,” said Bird. “On the court, the world, off the court literally, and then the city of Seattle for sure. He has been a mainstay here showing support to the storm as well.”

“It was always wonderful to see him at (Seattle Storm) games and just see his face,” added the former UConn legend.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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8 adorable Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird photos of the couple over the years

A look at the couple over the years.

You want to talk about legendary athlete and athlete couples in the world right now?

How about Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe?

Rapinoe, of course, is the USWNT soccer legend who has won multiple World Cups and an Olympic gold medal for the United States. Bird, the former WNBA star, is a four-time champion of that league, a 13-time All-Star and a five-time Olympic gold medalist.

The couple got engaged in 2020, but they met before that in 2016 when they were both at the Summer Olympics. Since then, they’ve been together and celebrated each other’s accomplishments.

Let’s look back at them together over the years.

Sue Bird: ‘I’ll always miss basketball, but I really did milk it’

Having won five Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships, Sue Bird enjoyed an illustrious career before she retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Bird, who is teaming up with Corona, recently talked with HoopsHype about life after …

Having won five Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships, Sue Bird enjoyed an illustrious career before she retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Bird, who is teaming up with Corona, recently talked with HoopsHype about life after basketball, what LeBron James could be going through with retirement, what it’s like to play for over two decades, and more.

Lil Wayne teases track collaboration with LSU basketball’s Flau’jae Johnson

Lil Wayne and LSU basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson might collaborate on a track soon??

While talking with women’s basketball greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, rap legend Lil Wayne hinted that he’s going to be collaborating with an LSU star soon.

On ESPN’s The Bird & Taurasi Show, women’s basketball fan Lil Wayne shared that, thanks to LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, that he will be collaborating on a track with Tigers freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson.

Johnson just goes by “Flau’jae” for her aspiring rap career, one that Lil Wayne seems very interested in helping out in the studio.

“We’re about to connect musically soon,” Lil Wayne told the two on the alternate broadcast of Friday night’s LSU-Virginia Tech 2023 women’s NCAA tournament Final Four game. “Be looking out for that.”

Johnson actually signed a music deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation label, so more collaborations could be on the horizon for the basketball player/musician.

She has also performed for her home crowd at LSU in the past.

The LSU women’s basketball team also practiced to one of Johnson’s freestyles ahead of Friday night’s Final Four win over Virginia Tech.

Johnson’s future certainly looks bright on the court and in the booth, and it seems like she’ll have plenty of opportunities to pursue both in the days ahead.