Current:Home > FinanceSue Bird says joining ownership group of the Seattle Storm felt inevitable-LoTradeCoin
Sue Bird says joining ownership group of the Seattle Storm felt inevitable
View Date:2024-12-23 15:07:22
SEATTLE (AP) — Becoming a part-owner of the only WNBA franchise she ever played for felt like an inevitability for Sue Bird.
It’s one more thing Bird is adding to an already busy agenda in retirement.
“I don’t think there was a matter of timing. … It’s not about this being the right time, or wrong time, or really anytime,” Bird said on Monday. “I feel like it was kind of inevitable, and a lot of ways something I always wanted, something that I’ve always had in the back of my head. And then for whatever reason this is just when it worked out.”
The Seattle Storm announced last week that Bird would be joining the ownership group for the franchise adding an expected piece to her business portfolio that’s helping define the post-playing part of her career.
There is Bird’s production company “A Touch More,” founded with fiancée Megan Rapinoe. There’s her media and commerce company — “TOGETHXR” — that was founded with Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel. She’s also a part-owner of Gotham FC in the NWSL.
And now there’s her piece of the Storm. As fellow Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel quipped, “I don’t even think I would call her retired. Whatever. She’s not playing anymore.”
“She had a lot to do during the past year and this was a great time to be able to kind of bring our joint interests together,” Brummel said.
Bird was the No. 1 overall pick by Seattle in the 2002 WNBA draft out of UConn and played 19 seasons for the franchise. She retired after the 2022 season as the league’s career assists leader with 3,234.
Bird was part of WNBA championships with the Storm in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020. She was also heavily involved in the business aspects of the league as a player serving on the executive board of the players association during her career. That experience and acumen can be beneficial now on the ownership side.
“But that is from a player’s perspective. So the way I view it is I can take that with me, bring that to the ‘room,’ but I also understand there is a lot to learn and a lot of curtains to pull back,” Bird said. “And I’m really excited about understanding the business side of things and then combining all that and bring whatever value I can bring.”
Bird said she isn’t sure how active of an owner she’ll be — other than wanting a key fob to be able to access the team’s new $64 million training facility.
“Obviously I’m clearly passionate about women’s sports. I clearly believe in it. I clearly want to continue to push it forward and that’s really, truly my agenda,” Bird said.
___
WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
veryGood! (1227)
Related
- How Ben Affleck Really Feels About His and Jennifer Lopez’s Movie Gigli Today
- From Illinois to Utah: July 4th firework mishaps claimed lives and injured dozens
- Stock market today: With US markets closed, Asian shares slip and European shares gain
- New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet
- Footage shows Oklahoma officer throwing 70-year-old to the ground after traffic ticket
- Some Caribbean islands see almost 'total destruction' after Hurricane Beryl
- The U.S. celebrates July 4, but independence from Britain is marked around the globe. Here's a look at how and when different countries celebrate.
- Ryan Garcia expelled from World Boxing Council after latest online rant
- Burger King's 'Million Dollar Whopper' finalists: How to try and vote on your favorite
- Storms kill man in Kansas after campers toppled at state park; flood watches continue
Ranking
- Today's Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb: Everything to Know About the Beloved Anchor
- A Florida woman posed as a social worker. No one caught on until she died.
- Hurricane Beryl churning toward Mexico with strong winds, heavy rain
- A dangerous heat wave is scorching much of the US. Weather experts predict record-setting temps
- What is prize money for NBA Cup in-season tournament? Players get boost in 2024
- Philadelphia mass shooting leaves 8 people injured, 1 dead; no arrests made, police say
- Spain advances to Euro 2024 semifinals with extra time win over Germany
- Horoscopes Today, July 4, 2024
Recommendation
-
Waymo’s robotaxis now open to anyone who wants a driverless ride in Los Angeles
-
What happened at Possum Trot? Remarkable story shows how we can solve America's problems.
-
Martha Stewart posted photos of her beige living room, and commenters took it personally
-
Track Hurricane Beryl as it rages toward Mexico after ripping through Caribbean
-
NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
-
Jessica Pegula, Wimbledon No. 5 seed, stunned by Xinyu Wang in second round
-
Storms kill man in Kansas after campers toppled at state park; flood watches continue
-
US jobs report for June is likely to point to slower but still-solid hiring