Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

Stewie is back on the pod! This week, Breanna Stewart joins Sue to talk about year two of Unrivaled — both from a personal perspective of being healthy this season compared to playing through injury in year one, and from an overall business perspective as one of the founders of the league. As Stewie leads her team, Mist BC, to the playoffs and continues her phenomenal season, she dives into her journey this season, her approach to three-on-three basketball, and her thoughts on many of the teams and players throughout the league. You don’t wannt to miss it! Don’t miss out on the Unrivaled playoffs start Saturday, February 28, and the championship on Wednesday, March 4! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Sue brings on the two finalists of the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament: Allisha Gray & Chelsea Gray! Sue talks to each of them individually, and then together, about their individual journeys in the tournament, the final matchup against each other, their strategies and in-depth breakdowns for each round, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Sue welcomes Marina Mabrey and Aaliyah Edwards — two teammates on both the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA and Lunar Owls in Unrivaled! They get into so much WNBA and Unrivaled talk…with lots of laughs in-between! Marina and Aaliyah share their relationship as teammates in both the W and Unrivaled and their first impressions of each other, discuss the recent Unrivaled games in Philly (which included Marina’s 47-point game), and how they feel they are growing their games this Unrivaled season. Marina also shares the origin of her crashout jar, and opens up about some her more notable “crashouts” (including against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever last season) and the challenge of balancing and controlling of her competitiveness. They also have a in-depth discussion about the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we welcome Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury and Rose BC! Kah gets into SO much with us, starting with this season of Unrivaled and what makes it so fun, the Elam Ending gameplay, what she’s learned from playing 3 vs. 3, how playing in Unrivaled compares to playing overseas, and what it means to her to play Unrivaled in Philly this weekend. She also opens up about what it was like being traded twice in the WNBA, her relationships with Chelsea Gray and Candace Parker, and how her upbringing in North Philly shaped her whole basketball career — leading her to being a WNBA Champion, Unrivaled Champion, and Olympic Gold Medalist. You don’t want to miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*Note - We recorded before Napheesa Collier’s injury announcement* This week, we’re excited to share a special preview of the upcoming Unrivaled season! Sue shares what players she’s excited to watch this year (including Paige Bueckers and Kelsey Plum’s first year in the league, some of the differences and advantages in playing 3-on-3 vs. 5-on-5, comparing youth and experience in Unrivaled, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode, we welcome Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts! Nate and Sue discuss the Phoenix Mercury’s Finals run this past season and how the Mercury found success by building through free agency, forming the Mercury’s Big Three (Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally). They also talk through Nate’s coaching background and his transition from coaching in the NBA to WNBA, what it was like coaching Diana Turasi in her final season, and becoming the highest paid coach in the WNBA. Then, they break down the discourse around WNBA referees, as well as what Nate’s approach is to this CBA offseason. Plus, much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back this week with another episode with a WNBA coach: Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White! Stephanie and Sue dive into so much, including Steph's current approach to the offseason with the CBA still in negotiations and her thoughts on the league's expansion. They also discuss Steph's playing career, from achieving Miss Indiana to competing in the early WNBA years. Then, they talk through how Steph became a coach, and each step of her coaching career leading to building trust and relationships with Fever stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. So much great stuff in this episode, you don't want to miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we welcome our first-ever head coach to the show: Sandy Brondello! Sandy opens up about so much with us, taking us back through her international and WNBA playing career (which included playing with Sue on the Seattle Storm), when she first started playing basketball, and more. She also dives into so many aspects of coaching in the WNBA, including what her coaching philosophies are, her approach to dealing with pressure, what’s she’s learned from coaching stars like Diana Turasi and Breanna Stewart, and her multiple WNBA championships. She also shares her thoughts around her departure from the New York Liberty this offseason. You don’t want to miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week’s episode we welcome Indiana Fever point guard Kelsey Mitchell! To begin the episode Sue and Tommy Alter discuss some of the greatest college players of all-time and what the future landscape of NCAA basketball might look like in ‘Sue’s View.’ Then, Kelsey and Sue dive into so much from both Kelsey and the Fever’s 2025 season. Kelsey opens up about what happening during her frightening leg injury in the playoffs (Game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces) and what was going through her mind. She also discusses what her approach was at the beginning of the season that led her to make such a statement on the court this year, which included makings All-WNBA First Team. Then, Kelsey shares the impact of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and all of the Fever’s vets as teammates and the pace of play connection between her, Caitlin, and AB. She also takes us through her mindset of what it takes to be an effective scorer and how she trains her speed working with football coaches. Sue and Kelsey also, of course, talk through the Fever’s impressive playoff run and the injuries the team dealt with. You don’t want to miss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we welcome Chelsea Gray of the 2025 WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces! To start the show, Sue and Tommy Alter break down what it takes to become a dynasty in sports and run through the list of WNBA dynasties. Then, Sue and Chelsea discuss ALL things Las Vegas Aces: their 2025 WNBA Championship, the team’s playoff run against the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever, the Aces rough start to the season including the 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx, A’ja Wilson’s text to the group chat after that loss and how to took time for the team to gel, and so much more. Chelsea also explains what winning her FOURTH championship means to her, which one of her four was the hardest, and her special relationship with head coach Becky Hammon. She also opens up about what it’s like having Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, and A’ja as teammates, shares what her definitions of a dynasty and “clutch gene” are, and goes in-depth about closing out Game 4 of the Finals. Sue and Chelsea close out the conversation but putting Chelsea in a GM’s shoes and discussing how she would approached this unprecedented offseason. It’s the Point Gawd herself - you don’t want to miss this conversation! Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s episode features Bird’s Eye View’s live show at the LWTSUMMIT at TechFutures with Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm. Sue starts off the episode talking with Tommy Alter about Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, A’ja Wilson’s game-winner, and how the Mercury can possibly avoid a sweep. Then Nneka and Sue have a candid conversation about everything happening in the league, including the upcoming CBA negotiations, Napheesa Collier’s comments regarding commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and Nneka’s role as the the WNBA Players Association President. Nneka explains what will be at stake in the negotiations and what the players will be looking for in the new CBA contract from salaries, to the importance of improved facilities, and more. Nneka and Sue then discuss Nneka’s all-star season the with Storm during which she playing all 47 games including playoffs, as well as new tech in the league that helps Nneka monitor her health and fitness. They also end things with a first-ever Bird’s Eye View game, “Who Said It?” It’s a truly informative conversation that you don’t want to miss! Photo by Daniel Becker via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a very special episode this week with the one and only Ryan Ruocco! We talk all things happening in the WNBA, including our reaction to Napheesa Collier’s press conference, before getting into a really great discussion about referees and how WNBA games should be officiated. Ryan then shares all the different areas of growth that he’s seen in the WNBA since he started calling games in 2013, his favorite playoff and Finals moments that he’s gotten to cover, and the origin of his iconic “You Bet!” call. We then recap the semifinals and our takeaways about the Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Indiana Fever, and Minnesota Lynx, before previewing the Finals match between the Aces and Mercury. Link to vote for ‘Bird’s Eye View’ in the Signal Awards: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting?utm_campaign=signal4_finalists_finalistnotification_092325&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cio#/2025/shows/genre/sports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we welcome Veronica Burton of the Golden State Valkyries, the winner of the 2025 Most Improved Player Award! Before the interview Sue chats with Tommy Alter about the WNBA semifinals and shares her thoughts on the Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever heading into Game 3s. Then, Veronica joins and shares so much with us. She discusses all things Golden State Valkyries including what it was like joining an expansion team, Valhalla and the fanbase, making the playoffs in the organization’s inaugural year, and head coach Natalie Nakase. Veronica also shares lessons she learned during her college career and Northwestern and her first few seasons in the WNBA on the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings. She talks about what she thinks makes her a great defender, what went into her being able to achieve the Most Improved Player award, and lots more. Link to vote for ‘Bird’s Eye View’ in the Signal Awards: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting?utm_campaign=signal4_finalists_finalistnotification_092325&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cio#/2025/[…]sports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices