A Legend Telling Her Own Story
Women’s sports just a few years ago can’t compare to the love that it’s been getting recently. From Simone Biles to Naomi Osaka to Angel Reese, women athletes are finally getting the love and support they should’ve gotten years ago. But even with all the great women athletes out there, past and current, there aren’t many films that depict their greatness.
To change things and to bring more representation to the screen, recently retired WBNA player Sue Bird decided to share her story with the world as a top athlete and human being.
“Sue Bird: In The Clutch” premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2024 and it walks us through Bird’s legacy from her playing soccer at a young age to eventually switching to basketball and becoming a legend not just for women, but in sports in general.
The documentary gives us a close view into the growth of Bird as an athlete but more importantly, her stepping into her true self.
“I think it’s wonderful to be able to tell my story. I hope a lot of people can connect to it…but more than anything, I’m hoping that this documentary right, like a woman athlete who has a 20-plus career got into Sundance, and I’m hoping that just opens up doors for other athletes, other women athletes, to have their stories told,” said Bird.
Impact off the Court
The documentary does a great job of not only showing how great of a player Bird was but also how much pressure she took on to ensure that her teammates and other women athletes got the treatment they deserved.
In The Clutch briefly shows Bird’s time in Russia, where she spent 10 years playing overseas. It showed how women athletes were not receiving enough during the regular season, with pay being around $55,000 a year, so they would have to play overseas to have a better salary. Bird made it clear in the documentary that the conditions in Russia were not appealing and that many athletes only did it out of necessity. Through her advocacy work, she fought to have better wages for women athletes, so that eventually overseas playing wouldn’t have to be an option.
“I just want to see it continue to grow. Right now we’re in a pretty good place. Not satisfied, but we’re in a pretty good place…and I think the role I can play now as a retired player is to really use my experience from my playing career…so whatever rooms I’m in…I can help because I have that intimate experience,” said Bird.
As the world slowly becomes more progressive, you get to see Bird come into her sexuality openly as a gay woman. Growing up, Bird was a shy and reserved person, but as she became more comfortable with who she was and what she stood for, it showed in her appearance through her clothes and how she spoke out against injustices.
One major theme the document focused on was Bird’s dedication to being a leader to her teammates.
“Sue is just a legend of the game. Her impact on and off the court has been incredible, and I’m just absolutely blessed that we’re getting to share her story with the world,” said director Sarah Dowland.
Although the documentary is about Bird, it highlights the troubles that women athletes grow through from sexism, to racism and everything in between.
The documentary has not set a release date but be on the lookout for announcements.
Check out our video interviews from Sundance Film Festival 2024 here.