Former WNBA star Sue Bird is ready to take on her next challenge: Hollywood.
(Nicole Biesek/For the Times)
Sue Bird is still not used to being called a former basketball player.
The longtime Seattle Storm point guard ended his WNBA career in 2022 after more than 20 years in the league, but he wasn't worried about finding something to fill his time. do not have. In fact, she says her “scariest part” of her retirement was the question: “Who am I without this?”
In a way, the new documentary Sue Bird: In the Clutch is her answer.at least of answer. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and became available on VOD on Friday ahead of its Netflix debut, looks back on his time as a student-athlete, his international career, and his off-duty accomplishments, while also looking back on his time as a WNBA player. We follow Bird during his final season. court. In other words, it's a portrait of someone who was never “just” a basketball player.
“When I really started looking into her life, the WNBA, her history, I really felt like this was a coming-of-age story. [The] “It's not only about Sue as a player, Sue as a person, and the growth of the WNBA, but it's also about our culture and the way we treat women and women's sports,” said Sarah Dowland, director of the film. I was surprised by this fact. Bird, who won numerous awards including two NCAA championships, four WNBA championships and five Olympic championships, “wasn't that famous.”
Basketball remains a big deal for Bird, who has only one season left in his retirement. Earlier this month, over coffee in the morning, she admitted that the 2023 WNBA playoffs reminded her of what she'd been away from.
“I went to a few games, and I thought it was nostalgic,” Bird said over the din of a Beverly Hills hotel restaurant. “I'll always miss that part. That's why you played. The chance to win, the energy with the team and the fans, all of that. Maybe I'll miss that forever. I guess.”
What she doesn't miss is the effort, time, and sacrifice it takes for a professional basketball player to reach that stage. The popularity of women's basketball has skyrocketed in recent years, with excitement surrounding the women's NCAA Tournament fueled in part by record-breaking performances from impactful freshmen like Iowa State senior Caitlin Clark and University of Southern California's JuJu Watkins. As illustrated, this is the life of a WNBA player. Not as attractive as NBA players. Often, an athlete can earn extra income during her WNBA offseason, which involves playing in leagues overseas throughout the year. Bird herself split her time between the Storm and Russian teams for the first half of her career.
“Sue Bird: In the Clutch” director Sarah Dowland couldn't believe the former Seattle Storm point guard “wasn't that famous.”
(Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
In fact, as soon as Bird turned 30, he remembers being asked questions about how much longer he planned to play and what his plans were after the WNBA, but it wasn't until Bird started thinking about his future that he moved abroad. It was after I stopped playing. (“I don't know about female athletes…but the number 30 meant something,'' says Bird, who played in the WNBA until age 41, knowing exactly why female athletes think that way.) (Processing.)
“That's when I first started thinking about what would happen next,” she says of her first free offseason. “And I started trying different things. I kind of commented on it. I was working in the front office for the Denver Nuggets. I ended up dabbling in other jobs. I just started trying things out. I’m just starting to feel it.”
Even before she retired, she started a media commerce company called Togetherxr (“Togeth (pronounced “)”.
“It really was Alex Morgan's baby,” Bird says. “She called and explained everything, and what I got was, 'We're unhappy with the lack of coverage.' [of women’s sports] So why not put my money where my mouth is? ”
Togethxr is a platform that champions women, women's sports, and women's perspectives through original content creation, products, and brand partnerships. Among her previous projects is the Prime Video documentary series “Surf Girls Hawaii,” produced in conjunction with Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine.
This is an ideal project for Bird, who remains as passionate about women's sports as ever, learning first-hand the systemic challenges female athletes face in attracting media coverage, marketing resources, and advertising revenue. It has expanded. But she points out that acknowledging and embracing its identity as a league comprised primarily of Black women and a large portion of LGBTQ+ players has only helped WBNA grow its fan base in recent years.
In fact, Bird is able to casually cite statistics to support his cause and emphasize the difference that efforts like Togetherthxr make. As well as the fact that since the platform's creation, the percentage of women's sports in all sports coverage has increased from 4% to 16%. Alternatively, while fandom for men's sports is often generational, with people inheriting their favorite sports and teams from their parents, a newer trend in fandom for women's sports is that fans are more likely to identify with athletes. Research shows that people are driven by stories that they can feel connected to. .
This understanding of the power of storytelling was one of the reasons Bird, who admits to being “a little more on the private side,” agreed to share her life with the documentary crew.
Sue Bird is 'frustrated by the lack of coverage' about launching Togethxr with Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel [of women’s sports] So why not put my money where my mouth is? ”
(Nicole Biesek/For the Times)
“Women's sports, in general, don't get a lot of platforms to tell their stories,” said the executive producer of “In the Clutch” under the Black Bar Mitzvah banner along with Aaron Bergman. actor Jay Ellis says. “I think Sue is really trying to fulfill this responsibility of understanding that her story has tremendous significance, not just for basketball, but for young women and society as well.” [the] LGBTQ [community] and to reproductive rights and civil rights. ”
Ellis continues, “She really stepped up to be this vocal advocate.” [role] I know she has to come out and talk about it. Because by doing so, she creates space for other women to tell their stories. ”
Even the story of how “In the Clutch” was funded and sold for distribution reflected what female athletes had to endure from the media for so long.
When promoting the film, “a lot of people said no,” Ellis says. “We were often told that no one was interested in women's sports, no one was interested in women's basketball, no one was interested in the WNBA. And that was crazy because at the same time Sue was a major magazine Because it's on the cover of
Deepening his commitment to storytelling, Bird launched a production company under Togethxr in 2022 with his fiancée, former soccer player Megan Rapinoe. The company shares its name with a live video series the two did on Instagram during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The way Megan puts it, she wants to build a media empire, and this is part of that,” Bird said. “With 'A Touch More,' we primarily focus on production, both scripted and unscripted, and try to shine a light on stories you don't usually get to see.”
While A Touch More's focus won't be limited to sports or athletes, Byrd said it will start with stories that are “sports-related” because “that's what we know.”
“There are always stories that have nothing to do with the actual game itself, and we want to leverage those,” Bird says. “Because honestly, they deserve to be told that they're going to change people's lives and help grow the sport.”
Bird's own viewing habits are diverse. She rattles off titles like Netflix's French comedy “Call My Agent!,” Prime Video's drama “Expats,” and Apple TV+'s thriller “Defending Jacob” as some of her most recently watched shows. And of course, she's also been watching her series Under Her Pressure, a documentary about the 2023 Women's World Cup U.S. team (though she hasn't started the final episode yet).
Among the on-screen stories that influenced Bird's development are two documentaries about women's college basketball teams. One is about her 1990 championship at Stanford University, and the other follows her 1997 season at the University of Tennessee. They offered Bird a glimpse of his future in basketball before there was a roadmap to becoming a pro.
“There are always stories to be told that have nothing to do with the actual game itself, and we want to capitalize on those,” Sue Bird says of the new production company.
(Nicole Biesek/For the Times)
And if you think film and TV production is a far cry from being a point guard (essentially the offensive player on a basketball team), think again.
“You go out on the court and there's yourself and four other guys trying to get things aligned.” [in a way] That way, you end up getting the best product and winning baskets,” Bird explains.
And while not all of it is well known yet, Byrd is gearing up for the next chapter. For example, she hosts “Sue's Places,” a series she hosts on ESPN+ that delves into the history of college basketball.
“I love [the episodes] They tell a story and you'll probably learn some interesting facts you didn't know. But they’re also kind of silly and gimmicky and ridiculous,” Bird says. “I really enjoy being in front of the camera.”
Bird will also executive produce the upcoming documentary “Power of the Dream,” along with WNBA star and players' association president Nneka Ogwumike, actor Tracee Ellis Ross and director Dawn Porter. The film, scheduled to be released on Prime Video in June, pits WNBA players against then-Atlanta Dream co-owner and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and Democratic Reverend Raphael Warnock in the 2021 Senate race. It describes the circumstances that helped him win.
“In fact, after Warnock was elected, my father said, “This is what Warnock said. “Do you think a gold medal is cool?”…This is the biggest accomplishment of your career. ”
Considering Bird's track record, that's a high praise. And her career, her second career, is just beginning.
