Sue Bird: "I pretty much lost money playing in the WNBA"

Basketball star Sue Bird claims she "lost money" while playing in the WNBA.

Transcript

00:00I think for both leagues, we've signed massive media deals.

00:03So the money is around the corner.

00:05So that's really exciting.

00:06For a long time, a lot of us had to play overseas.

00:09But really recently, you've been able to make money

00:11off the court.

00:12And that's actually what was, from a player's standpoint,

00:16so confusing.

00:17I was like, wait.

00:18I'm only getting paid in some of my later years

00:22after the new CBA was signed.

00:24I did get to make in the $250,000 range,

00:28which was wonderful.

00:29But for a large portion of my career, I was stuck at like $100,000, $110,000.

00:35I pretty much lost money playing in the WNBA, if I'm being honest,

00:38if you look at inflation and stuff.

00:39So it was really confusing, because I was getting offered

00:43crazy deals off the court from a marketing standpoint,

00:46representing brands, maybe going to do a speaking engagement.

00:49And that's really, for me, that disconnect.

00:52I knew we had something.

00:53I knew that the players were in the community.

00:56I knew that the players had value, even outside of being basketball players.

01:00But why weren't we being valued as a player?

01:03So the good news is, all of us, I mean, I'm retired now,

01:06but a lot of the players, we learned how to be our own businesses.

01:10We understood what it was to create our own brands.

01:12And now you're getting a really dynamic athlete

01:15that brands get to work with.

01:16And that's really, when I talk to different brands, what I push.

01:19And athletes are ready for it.

01:20But yeah, the media deal's here now, so it's all going to change.