Sue Bird joining Storm ownership group

During a tenure with the Storm that spanned more than two decades, Sue Bird served many roles for the franchise that selected her No. 1 overall in the 2002 WNBA draft.

She’s been a star point guard, basketball global ambassador, Seattle sports icon and retired hoops legend.

On Wednesday, the 43-year-old Bird added another title to her lengthy list of accomplishments: co-owner.

In a long-awaited move that many had speculated since her retirement in 2022, Bird joined the Storm’s ownership group Force 10 Hoops, which includes Lisa Brummel, Ginny Gilder and Dawn Trudeau, the team announced.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” Bird said in a statement. “Investing in women’s sports isn’t just about passion; it’s smart business. It’s about recognizing the immense talent, dedication, and market potential our league has always had. Force 10 Hoops and the Storm have been at the forefront of this for decades.

“Together, we’re not just shaping the future of basketball, but also paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive society.”

Bird is just the third former WNBA player to join a WNBA team’s ownership group following former Los Angeles Sparks star Lisa Leslie and Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery.

At the conclusion of her career, Bird, who played 19 seasons during 21 years with the Storm, left behind a Hall of Fame legacy that included four WNBA championships, 13 WNBA All-Star Game appearances, the league’s all-time assists record (3,234) and five Olympic gold medals.

When the Storm retired her No. 10 jersey, she sidestepped questions about her post-retirement plans.

“I’m figuring it out,” Bird said when asked about a career in broadcast or coaching. “As much as I would like, I knew when I retired I was never going to get a chance to just escape it all and live on a beach somewhere for a year or two. … I’ve got projects and things I’m working on, but mostly I’m not sure what the future holds.

“Instead of asking myself ‘What do you want to do?’ I asked myself ‘What do I want my life to be like? Do I want to be on the road a lot? Do I like traveling still? Or do I want to be home more?’ … I know Seattle will always be a home, … and I’ll be involved in this team in some capacity even if it’s just Sue Bird, co-creator of legacy.”

Two years ago, Bird became a minority investor in the NWSL’s club NJ/NY Gotham FC and joined a star-studded ownership group that includes former soccer star Carli Lloyd and NBA standout Kevin Durant.

Bird hosted the ESPN series “Sue’s Places,” co-founded the media company Togethxr, launched the production company A Touch More with fiancée and soccer star Megan Rapinoe and recently released a documentary about her final WNBA season.

Surprisingly, Bird was not among the 12 investor groups who bought a stake in the Storm last year during a sale, which raised $21 million, that helped finance the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance, a privately funded $64 million practice facility and headquarters that opened last week.

During the sale, the Storm valued the WNBA franchise at a league-record $151 million.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sue into the ownership group after a storied career on the court,” Brummel in a statement. “Her knowledge of the game and the league, her ever-expanding business acumen, and her dedication to the Storm organization, make her a superb addition to the ownership group.”