Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Since 1996, the WNBA has created superstars, and the remainder of the world is lastly catching up. For many longtime followers, although, the GOAT has already been determined: It’s Sue Bird.
The 12-time All-Star level guard spent 20 years within the league, successful 4 championships together with her group, the Seattle Storm, and 5 Olympic gold medals. In 2022, Bird retired. She considers herself one of many luckier gamers who has had an opportunity to take day without work from taking part in year-round (most WNBA gamers additionally play abroad to compensate for low pay) and begin exploring different avenues earlier than formally calling it quits. Since then, Bird has co-founded the media-production firm Togethxr and began a manufacturing firm together with her fiancée, soccer star Megan Rapinoe. And she’s embracing Hollywood — a bit.
In January, the documentary Sue Bird: In the Clutch premiered at Sundance and is now available to hire on Apple TV. Directed by Sarah Dowland, the movie follows Bird’s final two seasons within the league — beginning close to the top of the 2021 season when she didn’t know if she was returning to her final sport after the 2022 season — and highlights her life main as much as that second. It touches on Bird’s choice to come back out in 2017, the pay disparity and her expertise taking part in overseas, and the age-old query of what comes subsequent if you’re achieved, one thing Bird continues to be determining at present.
What was it like having a movie crew seize your final full 12 months within the WNBA?
The solely half that was semi-stressful was once I did know that I used to be going to come back again for an additional 12 months after the 2021 season. In equity, I used to be up entrance about that from the start of the method. I simply didn’t need to fuck the documentary up; there are budgets, and you need to plan forward and all these items, and now I’m including this different 12 months. But in case you watch the documentary, there’s the second when the followers cheered “One more year” and it was like, Who’s saying “no” to that? What shook me was that I had not made point out of retirement. I had not spoken a phrase about feeling like I used to be weighing my choices. I had at all times stated, “I’m on a one-year plan” and “I’ll evaluate when the season’s over,” however I’d been saying that for years.
But going into the 2022 season, I type of knew it will be my final. I’m from New York, in order we approached the New York Liberty sport, I knew this was going to be the final time for me to play in New York and it grew to become almost pressing to announce it. I needed to have my buddies, my household, and everyone within the New York space who has been part of my profession know this was the final time that they might come see me play within the metropolis. And that second type of dictated all the pieces, and I began telling folks.
Looking at retirement feels scary, and I’m curious in case you suppose feminine athletes take a look at it in another way than male athletes would possibly. I feel generally a male athlete will retire, begin a podcast about himself and the game, and preserve going, whereas girls have a tendency to begin a complete different enterprise.
The gender facet of it … it simply exists. When you’re a lady in sport versus if you’re a person in sport, particularly if you’ve gotten to the elite ranges of the WNBA and NBA or no matter league we’re speaking about, we perceive the discrepancies. To your level, it’s true. If you’re a male athlete of the identical degree that I used to be in my sport, you’re speaking concerning the one percenters, and that additionally means the one percenters of wage. So we’re speaking about individuals who make like $40 million a 12 months simply from taking part in. They’re in a distinct world, and yeah, they will simply go have a podcast and discuss themselves and their profession. I don’t know if girls would need to try this. I feel we’re just a bit extra multifaceted in that method and we need to have conversations about various things.
When did you begin embracing your different passions?
I ended taking part in abroad once I was round 34. At that time, I understood that I had this distinctive alternative the place I’m nonetheless taking part in within the WNBA, and that goes from like April to October, however now I’ve this large chunk of time and my offseason the place I can begin to determine some issues out. I did that for shut to 10 years. So I used to be dipping my toes in some waters and that helped me determine what it was I used to be fascinated by so once I retired it wasn’t this abrupt change.
What does a typical time off seem like for you now?
Even although I’m technically a year-and-a-half-plus retired, I’m nonetheless shedding a few of my old methods and habits. For some time, there was slightly little bit of guilt if I didn’t work out or if I needed to eat pizza and ice cream for per week straight. Sometimes, the times off are my hardest as a result of I’m so used to being energetic and busy consistently. What I’ve tried to place into my routine is methods to quiet myself and type of chill. I began to learn so much, and that helps as a result of it’s each quiet time and it’s taking you elsewhere. I like nonfiction, however I favor fiction, and that’s helped me in retirement.
What’s the final ebook you learn that you just couldn’t put down?
We simply went on trip for like 4 days — it was a quickie — and I learn this ebook referred to as The Women by Kristin Hannah. I acquired actually into it.
Besides studying, do you’ve got a No. 1 rule for enjoyable on a time off?
The magnificence of getting two retired athletes in the identical home is that on our days off, we’re collectively so much. Neither of us is on some common schedule, so we’ve got one another. Like each couple, 90 % of our conversations are like, Well, what are we consuming for dinner? So whether or not we’re cooking, ordering in, or going out with buddies, that’s one thing that we’re at all times trying ahead to doing. For me, going out to dinner with buddies is the perfect. There’s simply one thing very grounding about it, and it’s undoubtedly part of our routine.
What’s your No. 1 rule in relation to tipping?
I’m fairly spiritual about 20 %. You must be so fucking egregious for me to not depart 20 %. You is also so superb that it will immediate me to go away extra, and that has occurred for positive.
You and Megan additionally work collectively in your manufacturing firm, A Touch More, so what’s your No. 1 rule for working along with your vital different?
One of our largest rubs just isn’t slicing the opposite one off, as a result of we’re simply consistently throwing stuff at one another. Or if I’m like, “Megan, my opinion on this is X. What’s your opinion?” [grabs her phone and starts to stare at it], she’ll be like, “Did you just ask me a question and then go and look at your phone right away?” And we each do it. The telephone, whether or not we prefer it or not, is part of our lives, so we’ve simply gotten actually good about speaking round it.
Did you’ve got a favourite stadium to play in that wasn’t Seattle?
It was at all times New York. That was going home, and that was at all times the one I circled within the calendar. For the vast majority of my profession, they performed on the Garden as a result of the Knicks owned them, and that was superb as a result of Madison Square Garden is the place I grew up watching skilled video games.
What’s your go-to stadium meals as a spectator? And does it change based mostly on sport or area?
At a basketball sport, I like gentle pretzels. I’m obsessed. At a Knicks sport, I like knishes. If I’m going to a baseball sport, it’s a sizzling canine. But in case you go to Seattle, they’ve a sausage-and-pepper scenario, and so they even have actually good garlic fries.
What a few soccer match?
Where Megan performed for the final couple of years, they at all times had free popcorn within the space that she put me in as a result of it was a collection. The popcorn was bomb.
There’s a complete part within the doc the place you’re taking all these dietary supplements. Which ones do you suggest for everybody?
It’s very particular to you, however by the rule of thumb I really feel like you may by no means go unsuitable with fish oil and vitamin D. Those are usually a superb start line, after which perhaps a multivitamin, relying on what you want. The one random one I can throw in there that I actually like is cherry juice. It helps with sleep, it’s yummy, and it’s additionally good for restoration all through your day.
What’s the perfect recommendation you’ve obtained from a coach?
Probably from Coach Auriemma. He would say, “Basketball is not a game of how to, it’s a game of when to.” You get to a sure degree and everyone is aware of the way to shoot, the way to cross, the way to do all of the issues, however do they know when to? Because that’s what being an amazing participant is. That was one thing I actually embodied and absorbed.
Would you ever need to coach?
As of proper now, no. I at all times say “never say never,” however no. The lifetime of a coach is much like an athlete since you’re touring on a regular basis, you’re on this schedule that you haven’t any management over, and it’s powerful. I simply lived that life. That’s the principle factor that’s preserving me away from it. And then there’s the half the place teaching is absolutely exhausting.
How has the WNBA modified from the time you entered it to now?
The degree of play has simply continued to get higher. I at all times say it’s as a result of it’s 12 groups, 12 roster spots, and yearly there’s a brand new draft class of 21-year-olds making an attempt to take all the roles. It’s simply survival of the fittest, and what which means is you’ve got the perfect of the perfect always. From my first 12 months to my final 12 months, it was only a fixed incline of expertise. As far because the narrative across the WNBA, we’re lastly seeing that shift. I used to say that for no matter purpose — plenty of the explanations being sexism, racism, homophobia, and simply the patriarchy normally — the WNBA didn’t have the “cool” issue. We had been the butt of the joke on SNL for a time or two. If you turned on a male sports activities talking-head podcast, you’ll hear not simply that they didn’t just like the WNBA, however they need to shit on it. That was distinctive to the WNBA. But we lastly acquired to this turning level the place that narrative has modified and it’s now cool to go to WNBA video games. It’s cool to be all in about girls’s basketball. And that’s been most likely by far the largest shift, and that’s why you’re seeing individual gamers get the love and the limelight and all of the issues.
Your different model, Togethxr, has a shirt with the slogan “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” on it, and it’s been seen in all places. What’s your No. 1 rule for writing a superb slogan?
I’m massive on something that has a number of meanings and a few kind of cleverness, with a lean into wit or comedy. I’ve to shout out Nike due to what they’ve been doing with Caitlin Clark’s billboards and when Sabrina Ionescu went in opposition to Steph Curry, like these little one-liners. I imply, these had been fucking good.
Is there one basketball sport you concentrate on so much?
I’ve some favorites, however what’s attention-grabbing is that sadly, proper now, the basketball sport that I consider is my last sport. Not due to the successful or dropping however simply the second itself. It was a playoff sport, so it was a severe second and we misplaced, in order that’s that half. But I had gotten to a very good place the place I understood that no matter “last” I used to be experiencing — whether or not it was final season, final home sport, or no matter — I understood that these moments didn’t outline something. It didn’t outline my profession in any method. So I acquired to a very good place of understanding that, and it allowed me simply to be within the second with it. But after that final last home playoff sport, the place we misplaced, so the season was over, the followers went from chanting “One more year” the 12 months earlier than to chanting “Thank you, Sue.” I take into consideration that one each time.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
