- Bird was Seattle’s first overall pick in the 2002 WNBA draft out of UConn.
- The four-time WNBA champion has been engaged to Megan Rapinoe since 2020
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Sue Bird joined the Seattle Storm ownership group after helping the team to four WNBA titles in 21 years, from 2002 to 2021.
On Wednesday, the team’s owners, Force 10 Hoops, said the 43-year-old and 13-time All-Star joined the ownership group even though no financial details were provided about the transaction.
Bird said in a team statement that his involvement with the Storm will continue to grow the game.
“Investing in women’s sports is not just about passion,” she said. “It’s smart business.”
Business has been good for the Storm during Bird’s nearly two decades as a player.
Sue Bird (R) said she views her investment in the WNBA’s Seattle Storm as a “smart deal.”
Bird, 43, played for the Storm for nearly two decades, winning four WNBA titles in the process.
She was Seattle’s first overall pick in the 2002 WNBA draft out of UConn and played 19 seasons.
He retired after the 2022 season as the league’s assists leader with 3,234.
Bird was part of the Storm’s WNBA championships in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020.
Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel said Bird’s knowledge of the game and the league, as well as her business acumen, “make her a great addition.”
The ownership group recently opened the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance, a new $64 million practice facility.
Bird, who has been engaged to former US women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe since 2020, has also co-owned New York-based National Women’s Soccer League club Gotham FC since 2022.
The couple has been dating since they met at the 2016 Rio Olympics.