Monday's news that the WNBA and the WNBPA met for three hours to discuss a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was met with hope (that an agreement would be struck) and then disappointment (when it became clear the three-hour meeting mostly served as a way for players and team owners to connect). The meeting was attended by a handful of players in person as well as approximately 40 players by Zoom — and by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and representatives for seven WNBA teams.
One of those representatives was Sue Bird, who played for the Seattle Storm for more than 20 seasons. Bird is a WNBA legend who won four WNBA Championships, made 13 All-Star appearances, and who won five Olympic gold medals for Team USA. She's also the managing director of Team USA ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
But Bird didn't attend the CBA meeting in a player capacity — she's also a part owner of the Storm, so she was seated on the other side of the table from the players doing the negotiating. And while Bird has been through her own CBA negotiations as an athlete, many fans were surprised to learn that she attended on behalf of the team.
Sue Bird joined the Storm's ownership group in 2024
Force 10 Hoops, the owners of the Storm, announced Bird had joined as a part owner of the team in April 2024. The move made complete sense at the time — it's hard to not overstate how impactful Bird was, and remains, to the Storm and the franchise's identity. It's also been clear over the years that she's invested in the team completely.
In fact, her attendance at the CBA meeting is very likely a nod to her overall commitment to the WNBA as a system that includes executives, team owners, and athletes. If anyone it the room understands exactly how important an equitable CBA is to the players, it's someone who has had to fight that fight in the past.
Her attendance also pretty cleanly explains why Bird has steered clear of discussing the CBA negotiations on her own podcast so far. Bird has often cited a conflict of interest — a claim that's fair based on the fact that she's a part owner of the team, and one that becomes even more understandable since she's also attending CBA meetings in that capacity.