WNBA legend Sue Bird has only one piece of advice to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese amid NIL era
The WNBA has come to great lengths over the past year or so. The influx of talent, with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese at the forefront, has come with more money, more eyeballs, and more debate.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case. Some legends, such as four-time champion Sue Bird, didn’t always have the recognition, praise, and money they deserved as WNBA stars. Even so, instead of being jealous or petty, the 19-year WNBA veteran loves to see how the league keeps growing and how these young athletes are capitalizing and maximizing their value:
“It’s really fun, rewarding, and also interesting to watch these younger athletes step into their professional careers,” Bird told NBC News. “Obviously, Caitlin (Clark) and Angel (Reese); two great examples. What I see immediately is that this has to do with NIL in college. Right? Like, so much earlier, these athletes are thinking about themselves as businesses, as brands. And it’s amazing because they’re carrying that with them to the WNBA, so everything’s just bigger. They seem so much more self-aware in that business sense than I ever was at that age.” (2:27)
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Of course, she doesn’t want them to forget why they’re making all that money in the first place, so she urged them to stay focused on basketball.
“So, my only advice is usually to make sure they keep basketball the main thing. Because at the end of the day, that it’s your vehicle,” Bird added.
Sue Bird says Caitlin Clark ‘poured gasoline’ on the WNBA
It’s not the first time Bird has addressed this subject. In a recent appearance on the “A Touch More” podcast, she raved about how Clark was the catalyst the WNBA needed to leap forward.
“The fire was going. It was burning. And it was burning brighter… but Caitlin came, and she poured gasoline all over that thing and just took it to another level,” Bird said on Dec. 18.
She then raved about Clark’s game and shot-making, although she also believed the league was on the right path already.
“In the height that it reached this year – of course, the player, of course, the stardom, and of course, the long threes. She put the ball in the basket. Of course, she’s deserving. Both things are true at one time,” Bird added.
The women’s game keeps growing, and rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese deserve much credit for that. Still, those who paved the way for them need to get their flowers as well.
