‘Sue Bird: In the Clutch’ captures what made her an important WNBA figure

Before the current rookies entered the WNBA, other pioneers helped grow and sustain the league over decades. Among them is one of history’s most successful women’s basketball players, like Sue Bird.

Few athletes are more synonymous with winning, so perhaps now is the perfect time for a Sue Bird documentary. Sue Bird: In the Clutch, now streaming on Netflix, profiles the four-time WNBA champion, two-time NCAA champion, and five-time Olympic gold medalist. She remains one of the most relevant and recognized figures in sports. Bird retired after the 2022 season following nearly two decades in the league. Bird is beloved in Seattle, where she led the Storm to titles in 2004, 2010, 2018, and 2020.

Throughout the city, there are murals dedicated to her. Bird became a source of basketball pride, especially after the Seattle SuperSonics left to become the Oklahoma Thunder in 2008. The league might look very different today if Bird and the WNBA’s other stars from the past, such as Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, and Lauren Jackson, hadn’t paved the way. It’s important to remember that while the league, fueled by Caitlin Clark, enjoys unprecedented media coverage.

Biographical sports documentaries can misfire. Just because an athlete is great doesn’t automatically lead to a great documentary. Steph Curry’s Underrated is a prime example of an underwhelming one. In the Clutch gives viewers a well-rounded view into Bird’s origin story, providing anecdotes that help the audience learn more about her.

Casual fans might know that Bird transferred to Christ the King, a New York City basketball powerhouse, during her high school career. Many might not know that one reason she changed schools was because her father moved to Queens.

There is no good time to see your parents break up. However, it’s probably particularly tough as a teenager. In the Clutch does an excellent job of highlighting that fact with Bird recalling, “I didn’t want to have divorced parents. What does this mean? What does it look like? Where are we living? What are we doing? All of that was happening but I always had basketball.”

Bird’s UConn career exceeded expectations. The 5-foot-9 point guard went to three Final Fours, reaching the title game as a sophomore, junior and senior. By the time she left, she was the top overall WNBA draft pick by the Storm in 2002. In the Clutch focuses more on her life after college.

There are plenty of stories and footage about the on-court highs and lows. From the 2010 Storm squad which went 28-6 and is considered one of the greatest WNBA teams of all time to the disappointment of losing in the semifinals in her final season.

But the most fascinating stuff in this documentary, directed by Sarah Dowland, occurs off the court.  Bird and Diana Taurasi tell an amazing story about playing in Russia. Bird also talks about her relationship with her partner Megan Rapinoe and some of the missteps the WNBA made with marketing in the early days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo-2CALjlxA&ab_channel=ESPN

As a retired athlete, Bird can talk even more openly and honestly. There is no team or league to protect. Bird is free to be herself. In the Clutch shows us how Bird has grown into becoming the icon she is today.