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Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior Writer
Speaking to the media for the primary time since being introduced as the latest member of the Seattle Storm’s possession group, legendary retired participant Sue Bird informed reporters Monday, “This truly feels reminiscent to my rookie yr in a way.”
Drafted by the Storm with the No. 1 choose of the 2002 WNBA draft, Bird spent twenty years as a participant in Seattle earlier than retiring on the finish of the 2022 season with 4 championships and a document 13 All-Star appearances to her credit score.
Given Bird’s shut ties to the town and the organization, making the transfer to staff possession was no shock. Previously, Bird had invested in NWSL franchise NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022 whereas nonetheless an energetic WNBA participant.
“I really feel prefer it was sort of inevitable in quite a lot of methods,” Bird mentioned. “It was one thing that I’ve all the time wished, one thing that I’ve all the time had behind my head. For no matter purpose, that is simply when it labored out. I’ve solely been retired not even two years, so give me a second, proper?”
Speaking on behalf of Force 10 Hoops, the staff’s possession group, Lisa Brummel echoed that expectation of formalizing Bird’s relationship with the organization past her retirement as a participant.
“We’ve all the time had it behind our thoughts as effectively to welcome Sue to this group, however like she mentioned, she wanted a minute to stay her life,” Brummel mentioned. “She had quite a bit to do up to now yr and this was a good time to deliver our joint pursuits collectively and have her be part of the group.”
From the Storm and Gotham FC to sports activities media and clothes firm TOGETHXR and A Touch More, the manufacturing firm she launched with fiancée Megan Rapinoe, Bird’s off-court investments have targeted on development in girls’s sports activities. She’s passionate in regards to the monetary alternative as girls’s sports activities acquire rising recognition.
“There’s actually no higher business,” Bird mentioned. “I all the time inform folks, when you had been to take away ‘girls’s sports activities’ or ‘girls’s basketball’ or ‘girls’s soccer’ or no matter sport you are speaking about from the title of the business or the corporate and also you simply appeared on the numbers, the expansion, the trajectory, all of the issues, folks could be leaping at this chance. That’s actually how I see it.”
At the identical time, it is clear that becoming a member of Seattle’s possession group is about extra than simply {dollars} and cents for Bird, who had her No. 10 jersey retired by the franchise final summer season and continued to attend video games as a fan frequently.
“I’ve seen the whole lot there may be to see when it comes to what this organization has achieved, a few of the hardships it has been via,” Bird mentioned. “I’ve been on that journey. So for me to be part of possession, I get to proceed the journey, so to talk. It comes from a place of sensible business, however in fact there is a heartstring for me as effectively.”
Bird is the third retired WNBA participant to spend money on one in all her former franchises, and people roles have been distinctive to these people and organizations. Lisa Leslie grew to become the primary former WNBA participant to transition to possession with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2011, adopted by Renee Montgomery with the Atlanta Dream. Montgomery additionally serves as vp of the Dream, giving her a extra energetic administration position.
This early within the course of, Bird and the Storm are nonetheless determining precisely how concerned she shall be in serving to run the staff.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to see what is going on to suit, see how issues really feel,” Bird mentioned. “I haven’t got something preconceived on what sort of proprietor I’m going to be. I feel that often naturally performs itself out. If my enjoying profession tells me something, it is that.
“All you are able to do is present up, deliver the worth that you’ve got, deliver the intangibles that you simply deliver and see the way it all matches. That’s the way you create good groups, in order that’s the way it’s all the time performed out for me and I’m assuming it may be the identical manner on this aspect of issues.”
Brummel and the Storm’s present possession welcome no matter Bird feels snug contributing.
“She’s going to have observations and we will have observations and we will work out the place we will align to assist develop the business as a result of that is what we’re all about right here,” Brummel mentioned. “I haven’t got any preconceived notions about the place Sue will select to be concerned or the place we might need her to be concerned, however we have all the time had a very good dialogue again to after we first purchased the staff in 2008, so I’ve full confidence that we’ll be capable to focus on the goings on and discover the proper position.”
