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New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Watch: Sue Bird discusses Caitlin Clark's passing and WNBA ownership
Few names are more synonymous with basketball excellence than Sue Bird. A four-time WNBA champion, Bird spent her entire 20-year career with the Seattle Storm, where she earned a record 13 WNBA All-Star selections, made eight All-WNBA teams, won five Olympic gold medals, and still holds the league's all-time assists record with 3,234. Advertisement And on Saturday, she'll be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at the Tennessee Theatre. Bird has remained just as impactful off the court since her retirement in 2022. She became part-owner of the Storm in April 2024 after joining the team's ownership group, Force 10 Hoops. In May, she was appointed as the first managing director of the USA women's national team. If that wasn't enough, the 44-year-old is also making waves in podcasting. She co-hosts 'A Touch More' with her wife, former soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and hosts her women's basketball-focused show, 'Bird's Eye View.' On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita and Ben Pickman interviewed Bird to discuss WNBA media, her passion for podcasting, the unique perspective she brings to team ownership, and what makes Caitlin Clark such a special passer. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the 'No Offseason' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keita: Sue, you officially retired in 2022, but you haven't really fully stepped away from the game and you've been very much involved since your retirement. One of the biggest things you've been doing since is podcasting, and you've inserted your voice in a unique way into the world of women's basketball. When you think about the media landscape right now, we know there's been a boom. … You know what it was like when there wasn't that much interest in your practices or games, and now everyone wants to get in there. So what do you see in the media landscape right now when it comes to women's basketball? Bird: Obviously, there's been a ton of growth, which is something we always wanted. It wasn't that we didn't have any coverage, but it was just that we didn't have enough, and now that's starting to enter into the picture. The way I refer to it is like an ecosystem. Think about what happened as the WNBA boomed in the last year or two. This ecosystem grew and more people were coming into it, but we didn't have a balance. We didn't have enough people who really understood the league, who knew the league, knew its history, knew why certain things would happen, why certain wouldn't, and had a true understanding of it. I think that's where I come into play, and not just myself, but other former players who are doing this and people like yourselves who are involved in women's basketball. Advertisement It's important to balance that ecosystem and to have an understanding, because with all the influx of people who were new to women's basketball, they were getting some of the narratives wrong. Some of them were just off, meaning those narratives took on a life of their own at times, and there wasn't something to counteract it, and there wasn't that balance. So the more that starts to increase, and as those of us who really know the game start to get larger platforms, it can all exist. Because sadly in our world today, you do need the hot take, you do need the wrong take, and you need to have these conversations to really get to the bottom of things. But what was missing was accuracy I would say. Keita: Exactly, and I imagine that's what you want to bring with 'Bird's Eye View.' I've been really enjoying that content, and particularly the accuracy you just mentioned where you're allowing players to tell their stories themselves, and provide that perspective and narrative themselves. Was that the impetus for why you launched your podcast? To be able to give players that lane that maybe you remember missing as a player? Or were you even hearing in the ecosystem from players saying, 'I really wish I could talk to a former player as opposed to a media member.' Is that one of the things that 'Bird's Eye View' wants to address? Bird: Yeah, partly, a lot of what I said about the ecosystem was more pertinent to 'A Touch More' because that's kind of how it got started. Then as we were doing that show, we talked about all different sports across the board, but obviously the WNBA and women's basketball was something we tapped into a lot. But I just found that I wanted to go deeper, and I wanted to talk about it more. And what I'm finding now as I'm doing it, is what you're saying, which is that I just really love having these conversations with players. I do think there's that element of being a former player where I'm able to disarm in a different way. But I also know that these players know I'm not trying to get any 'got you' moments, and I'm not trying to catch them out with anything. I'm just trying to have a real conversation. And I do think it gives them a chance to really talk about things and have somebody who can connect, relate and hopefully leave space for them to tell their side. So I've been really enjoying it and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I do have a couple of minutes on each side of the interview where I get to talk about the specific basketball things I want to talk about. Sometimes it's players, teams, themes, whatever it is. But for the most part, it's really just letting these players have that space. Pickman: Sue, when we had Candace Parker on the show, she talked about sometimes needing to take the white gloves off and the importance of that in the ecosystem. What are your thoughts on how media can do things differently, or about the idea of being fair but also critical when the situation warrants it? Advertisement Bird: Fair but critical is a great way of saying it, and that's something that not just Candace and I have talked about, but really all of us have for a long time. There wasn't a lot of critique, and in fairness to everyone who's been around for 20-plus years, it felt too risky to critique at times because it was so easy for so long to jump on that critique and then paint it across the whole league. If you said one bad thing about one thing, that was it: the whole league had no value. So it felt risky. But I do think we're now getting into this place where you can have both. But the important part is to be fair while also critical; both have to exist. And like I said, no 'we got you' moments, but real conversations. And in those real conversations come shooting slumps, come a game or a play where you look back and wish you did something different, or maybe a relationship with a teammate you wish you handled differently. Those are just real conversations. Pickman: You've mentioned some of your conversations with players, but I'm also curious about your conversations with ownership. We know you have an ownership stake in the Seattle Storm, and obviously there's an ongoing CBA negotiation. What have you learned about being on that side of the business? Have you talked to Ginny Gilder, Lisa Brummel, and the other members of the Storm ownership group about the ongoing negotiation? And what do you bring to the mix in terms of those talks? Bird: Yeah, I definitely do stay in touch with them, and what I'm bringing is what I knew I was going to bring the minute I became an owner just over a year ago. Which is I'm on the ownership side of things, but I have a player's perspective and that's unique. At times, I'm able to learn from the ownership group because I don't know that side as well. But then I'm also able to provide a little bit of understanding and nuance on what a player might be thinking in certain situations or certain moments. It's just a really good balance. And at the end of the day, I actually don't feel that much different being on this side as opposed to the player side. We all just want a great deal, and we just want this league to succeed, period, point blank. Pickman: You're the all-time leader in assists, and we have some great passers in the league right now. Courtney Vandersloot unfortunately tore her ACL this past weekend, and she's one of the all-time great passers too. But Caitlin Clark is very much on pace it seems to chase down your record one day. Bird: These records have no chance because they play way more games now. I don't want to get too caught up in the games played because it is what it is. I don't feel any way about it because records are meant to be broken. But I played 34 games for the majority of my career. So the players today are on the clock with these records, they better break those things in like five years. Pickman: Very true, and they probably will. But I wanted to ask, what makes Caitlin Clark so special as a passer in your mind? And what separates her as a passer compared to all her peers? Bird: The important thing to recognize here with Caitlin, and this conversation is we're not even bringing her name up unless she has incredible court vision, and unless she has the type of vision where she's able to anticipate and read. What I would add to that and what I think separates her, on top of all the qualities that most great passers have, is that she has strength. Sometimes she's able to make passes not because she sees it or because she's reading the defense — yes, those things exist, but that's not why she's able to make the pass — she's able to make the pass because she can actually get it there. The easiest way to see it is with her full-court passes, but they also happen in the half-court. Sometimes she'll have picked her dribble up, somebody will cut, and she still has the zip to get a backdoor pass off the bounce to her teammate on time. I would add that strength as a differentiator to some of the other great passers we've seen. You can listen to full episodes of No Offseason for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Top Photo:for Fast Company)
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: Candace Parker on coaching, commentating and coming out
Candace Parker is a role model whose legacy extends far beyond the basketball court. A three-time WNBA champion, finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, seven-time All-Star and All-WNBA first-team member, Parker is sharing her story in a new memoir, 'The Can-Do Mindset.' For all the brilliance she showed on the court, Parker had to navigate many challenges away from the bright lights, so the release of her memoir — which coincides with the start of Pride Month — seems especially fitting. Advertisement On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant interviewed Parker about her path to self-acceptance, coming out and embracing her sexuality. Keita: Candace, in your book, you wrote about your internal struggle, coming to terms with your feelings with women, and how there was a significant difference in how you were treated before and then how you were treated with your wife after coming fully out. What do you think made that so hard for you, even in a league where many players are very out and proud of it? Parker: Well, going through it, I've supported someone who has come out before, and at the time I was dating men, so I just looked at it like, 'Why is this so difficult for you? Nobody cares, it's OK and it's accepted.' But when it's you, it's different. Growing up and reading the trashy magazines where you do the little tests to see who you're compatible with, based on movies and colors and all that stuff, I always envisioned a Prince Charming. So it's scary when you envision something your entire life, and then all of a sudden life hands you something not in the package that you expected it to come in. So it took a long time for me to be OK with it myself, and there's no way that you can fight a battle trying to explain yourself and validate who you love with others before you've officially done that, and come to grips with it yourself. Everyone probably knows someone who has gone through this struggle, and you can't explain it until you're in it. I understand that the world now sees it as great, and sees the fight as behind us and all those things, but it's not. You're still looked at in a different light based on who you love, and you still get the looks and the glares and all of those things. Advertisement So as an individual and as a person who wants to be a role model, the hardest thing for me was with my family, because I wanted my nieces and nephews to still look up to me. I wanted them to still love me, and I wanted my brother's kids to still look at me as a role model. So I had to come to grips with that, and honestly, it's been my daughter, nieces and my nephews that have legit been so important for me. We told my nephew, and my nephew was literally like, 'What's for dinner?' Like, he didn't care. So just getting the support from my family and my friends was so important. And yes, I have lost some friends, but that's OK. You have to be at a point where it's OK in your journey to be able to withstand that, so I'm super grateful my our support system. It's just crazy because I cannot believe it's only been three years; it seems like it's been forever. But that just shows that we need more visibility, and we need more people out there who are just living their lives and can provide some sort of roadmap and hope for those who are struggling. I can't imagine if someone was in control of my finances or where I lived or how I supported myself, and my decision of who I loved impacted that. So my heart and love go out to all of those people who are struggling with this. The mother who doesn't know how to support their daughter who's coming out, or kids seeing their parents choose love. This isn't easy to navigate, but at the end of the day, it's about having conversations and truly about being authentic and being open and honest in those conversations. Keita: With this shift in transition, what are your thoughts on the term 'pretty baller' because when I was coming up, you were the definition of a 'pretty baller.' I remember I had my baby hairs like you did and all of that. But as the league continues to evolve, this concept of what basketball should look like and being feminine in basketball has evolved as well. Do you have any thoughts around that? Parker: Here's the thing, now with social media I think that you're going to see people be able to follow who they follow. And again, I say numbers don't lie, check the scoreboard. There were so many times when people said females in general couldn't sell shoes and couldn't be on the covers of video games. But now we're seeing more women have the opportunity to do that, and the key is opportunity. Females come in all shapes and sizes, and when you talk about clothing, the runway and the ability to show off who you are, and your personality and being unapologetic about that, it's so important. So I'm proud of the WNBA because I don't think anybody has dimmed their light to fit into a box. I know myself that I couldn't control what other people thought of me. But I knew what I wanted to bring to the table every single day, which was Candace Parker. And every single day, I wanted to work harder to get closer towards being authentically myself. Advertisement But for women in society, it's hard because you're judged by everything other than playing basketball. Then when you play basketball, it's not good enough. And when you play basketball, you've got to be competitive, but you can't be too muscular. I remember worrying about that in college when I was power cleaning because of my shoulders. And you would have seen at the ESPYs I was wearing this dress, and I remember seeing a comment when I accepted the Women's Sports Award from David Beckham, and someone saying, 'Well, she's pretty, but she's too muscular.' And I remember going home, looking in the mirror and being like, really? But now I bench 125 pounds easy, and I don't care. It's one of those things where with time, you realize that everybody is trying to critique everything in this culture. And everybody has a voice now with Twitter fingers and all that stuff. So you've just got to be you, and I think your community will find you. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, No Offseason Podcast 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Watch: Candace Parker on coaching, commentating and coming out
Candace Parker is a role model whose legacy extends far beyond the basketball court. A three-time WNBA champion, finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, seven-time All-Star and All-WNBA first-team member, Parker is sharing her story in a new memoir, 'The Can-Do Mindset.' For all the brilliance she showed on the court, Parker had to navigate many challenges away from the bright lights, so the release of her memoir — which coincides with the start of Pride Month — seems especially fitting. Advertisement On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant interviewed Parker about her path to self-acceptance, coming out and embracing her sexuality. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the 'No Offseason' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keita: Candace, in your book, you wrote about your internal struggle, coming to terms with your feelings with women, and how there was a significant difference in how you were treated before and then how you were treated with your wife after coming fully out. What do you think made that so hard for you, even in a league where many players are very out and proud of it? Parker: Well, going through it, I've supported someone who has come out before, and at the time I was dating men, so I just looked at it like, 'Why is this so difficult for you? Nobody cares, it's OK and it's accepted.' But when it's you, it's different. Growing up and reading the trashy magazines where you do the little tests to see who you're compatible with, based on movies and colors and all that stuff, I always envisioned a Prince Charming. So it's scary when you envision something your entire life, and then all of a sudden life hands you something not in the package that you expected it to come in. So it took a long time for me to be OK with it myself, and there's no way that you can fight a battle trying to explain yourself and validate who you love with others before you've officially done that, and come to grips with it yourself. Everyone probably knows someone who has gone through this struggle, and you can't explain it until you're in it. I understand that the world now sees it as great, and sees the fight as behind us and all those things, but it's not. You're still looked at in a different light based on who you love, and you still get the looks and the glares and all of those things. Advertisement So as an individual and as a person who wants to be a role model, the hardest thing for me was with my family, because I wanted my nieces and nephews to still look up to me. I wanted them to still love me, and I wanted my brother's kids to still look at me as a role model. So I had to come to grips with that, and honestly, it's been my daughter, nieces and my nephews that have legit been so important for me. We told my nephew, and my nephew was literally like, 'What's for dinner?' Like, he didn't care. So just getting the support from my family and my friends was so important. And yes, I have lost some friends, but that's OK. You have to be at a point where it's OK in your journey to be able to withstand that, so I'm super grateful my our support system. It's just crazy because I cannot believe it's only been three years; it seems like it's been forever. But that just shows that we need more visibility, and we need more people out there who are just living their lives and can provide some sort of roadmap and hope for those who are struggling. I can't imagine if someone was in control of my finances or where I lived or how I supported myself, and my decision of who I loved impacted that. So my heart and love go out to all of those people who are struggling with this. The mother who doesn't know how to support their daughter who's coming out, or kids seeing their parents choose love. This isn't easy to navigate, but at the end of the day, it's about having conversations and truly about being authentic and being open and honest in those conversations. Keita: With this shift in transition, what are your thoughts on the term 'pretty baller' because when I was coming up, you were the definition of a 'pretty baller.' I remember I had my baby hairs like you did and all of that. But as the league continues to evolve, this concept of what basketball should look like and being feminine in basketball has evolved as well. Do you have any thoughts around that? Parker: Here's the thing, now with social media I think that you're going to see people be able to follow who they follow. And again, I say numbers don't lie, check the scoreboard. There were so many times when people said females in general couldn't sell shoes and couldn't be on the covers of video games. But now we're seeing more women have the opportunity to do that, and the key is opportunity. Females come in all shapes and sizes, and when you talk about clothing, the runway and the ability to show off who you are, and your personality and being unapologetic about that, it's so important. So I'm proud of the WNBA because I don't think anybody has dimmed their light to fit into a box. I know myself that I couldn't control what other people thought of me. But I knew what I wanted to bring to the table every single day, which was Candace Parker. And every single day, I wanted to work harder to get closer towards being authentically myself. But for women in society, it's hard because you're judged by everything other than playing basketball. Then when you play basketball, it's not good enough. And when you play basketball, you've got to be competitive, but you can't be too muscular. I remember worrying about that in college when I was power cleaning because of my shoulders. And you would have seen at the ESPYs I was wearing this dress, and I remember seeing a comment when I accepted the Women's Sports Award from David Beckham, and someone saying, 'Well, she's pretty, but she's too muscular.' And I remember going home, looking in the mirror and being like, really? But now I bench 125 pounds easy, and I don't care. It's one of those things where with time, you realize that everybody is trying to critique everything in this culture. And everybody has a voice now with Twitter fingers and all that stuff. So you've just got to be you, and I think your community will find you. You can listen to full episodes of No Offseason for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Top Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Diana Taurasi Thinks Surprising Star Will Become WNBA's Best Player
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi makes a surprise prediction for the young player she believes will eventually emerge as the WNBA's best. More WNBA News: WNBA Announces Bold Changes Ahead for 2025 Season Taurasi knows a thing or two about what it takes to be great in the league. During a 20-year career, the former University of Connecticut guard averaged 18.8 points on .425/.360/.870 shooting splits, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per bout for the Mercury. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi handles the ball during a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi handles the ball during a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Tony Gutierre/AP Photo She was named the 2009 MVP, a 14-time All-WNBA honoree and an 11-time All-Star, while winning three WNBA titles during her reign — including two Finals MVPs. High praise from Diana Taurasi on Paige Bueckers' future in the WNBA 🤝@DianaTaurasi x @paigebueckers1 — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 27, 2025 Taurasi has also been a member of the league's 15th, 20th and 25th Anniversary Teams, celebrating the 15, 20 and 25 best players in WNBA history. Speaking to The Athletic's Ben Pickman on his podcast "No Offseason," Taurasi revealed that she believes another Geno Auriemma Huskies great, Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers, is poised to one day stake her claim as the best player in the league. Full quote from Diana Taurasi on Paige Bueckers ⤵️ — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 27, 2025 "The WNBA, it's a different beast," Taurasi said. "There's different challenges as an individual, as a team. When you get drafted No. 1, you're usually going to a team that's rebuilding, that's starting to try something new. There's a lot of challenges when you get to a team and a franchise that's rebuilding, and you kind of have to change your outlook on wins and losses." The 6-footer, 23, numbered among a starry NCAA freshman class that also included last year's No. 1 draft pick, Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark. She was the no-brainer top selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and has already improved in just her first four pro games with the Wings. "You take the wins as far as getting better every single game," Taurasi said. "As you can tell already, Paige, from Game 1 to Game 2, she was a different player. And from Game 2 to Game 10, she's going to be a different player. And that's going to go for their team as well, as they learn each other on the court and off the court as well." More WNBA News: Fever Coach Reacts to Brutal Caitlin Clark Injury In that first contest, a 15-point blowout loss to Bueckers' hometown Minnesota Lynx on May 16, the rookie guard scored 10 points on just 3-of-10 shooting from the field, grabbed seven boards, dished out two dimes and blocked a shot. To Taurasi's point, Bueckers nearly doubled her output in Game 2, on markedly better shooting efficiency. She scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 shooting from the charity stripe, passed for eight assists, swiped two steals and registered one rejection. More WNBA News: Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Provides 'Special' Outlook for Indiana "So the one thing I know about Paige is she's so grounded, she's so patient, she's so prepared. And I think she's learned that in the last four or five years [of an injury-laden NCAA career]," Taurasi said. "And all those things that she learned at Connecticut, they're going to change the way you look at that team. One day she's going to be the best player in the league, for sure." Across four healthy games so far, Bueckers is averaging 13.0 points on .340/.333/.778 shooting splits, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks a night. More WNBA News: Angel Reese Responds to Hate Speech Directed at Her During Game With Caitlin Clark Fever Star Caitlin Clark to Miss Extended Time With Significant Injury WNBA Could See Billion Dollar Growth Because of Caitlin Clark Caitlin Clark Injury Impacts Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever Rivalry Game Ticket Prices Make sure to follow Newsweek Sports for all your WNBA news and updates.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Diana Taurasi interview: Paige Bueckers will be the best player in the WNBA
Few players are more decorated in the world of basketball than Diana Taurasi. Over her 20-year WNBA career — all with the Phoenix Mercury — she captured three WNBA championships, two Finals MVPs, a regular season MVP and five scoring titles. The 42-year-old also earned 11 WNBA All-Star selections, was named to the All-WNBA team 14 times, won a record six Olympic gold medals and remains the league's all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points. No other player has reached even the 10,000-point mark. Advertisement It's no surprise that Taurasi was voted by fans as the WNBA's greatest player of all time in 2021 as part of the league's 25th anniversary celebration. On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' 's women's basketball reporter Ben Pickman talked to Taurasi about her hopes for the WNBA's next collective bargaining agreement, her thoughts on fellow UConn alum Paige Bueckers and what the future holds for her in basketball. Watch the full interview below. Pickman: Diana, obviously there's an ongoing CBA negotiation. When you take a step back, seeing as you're no longer in it, what do you hope comes next? Do you have thoughts on what you think the players should prioritize? Or when you think about their priorities that have already been put out there, are there ones that especially resonate with you as you look to the future? Advertisement Taurasi: For the longest time, I've always been a big proponent of player salaries because once you start increasing player salaries then all the other things fall in line. And for a long time, we've tried to subsidize all these things underneath player salaries. But at a certain point, we have to pay the best players in the world, in the best league in the world, what they deserve. Now with viewership and the new media deal, all those things are in play, but like anything, it's about negotiation. The players want certain things, the owners in the league want certain things, and at the end of the day, you have to come to the table, you have to negotiate and you have to give and take on certain things. I'm sure with this new CBA, that's what it'll be. And like anything, our league's at its best when we're lacing them up and playing. Pickman: If you were going to be in Terri Jackson's (the executive director of the players association) shoes, or Nneka Ogwumike's shoes, or any of your former colleagues in the WNBA, do you have a number in mind that you think they should try to hit? Taurasi: I think that $1 million mark is always the sexy one, as a player that's when you feel like you're making what you should make. That number has always been the number overseas that has made players go there for a long time. But like anything, there are so many things that go into a negotiation. I can say $1 million, or I could say $2 million, but at the end of the day, once they get into the books and they see what the league is generating, and the revenue from TV and games, then the true numbers will really come out. Advertisement But there are obviously other things too. As a player, you want to be in situations where it's an average playing field for everyone, and it's fair. So practice facilities and the everyday welfare of players should be at a certain standard across the league. I think we're getting there, but there are certain franchises that are still working to get there as well. Pickman: Obviously we know your ties to the University of Connecticut, and Paige Bueckers has now made her debut. I know you've already been asked the question of what advice you would give her, but how do you think she should approach getting started, having lost two games to open her career? And what do you remember about that adjustment period that might inform what she's going through right now? Taurasi: The best thing about playing in Connecticut is that you don't lose a lot of games, and the worst thing about playing in Connecticut is that you don't lose a lot of games. With the WNBA and other platforms, as I've said before, it's a different beast, and there are different challenges you face as an individual and as a team. Obviously, when you get drafted No. 1 overall, you're usually going to a team that's rebuilding and starting to try something new. Dallas has had some great history and some great players, but last year, their season didn't go as expected, and that's why they got the No. 1 overall pick. So there are a lot of challenges when you get to a team and a franchise that's rebuilding, and you have to change your outlook on wins and losses. Advertisement You take the wins as far as getting better every single game, and as you can tell already, Paige was a different player from Game 1 to Game 2. And from Game 2 to Game 10, she's going to be a different player. That goes for their team, as well as they learn from each other on the court and off the court. And the one thing I know about Paige is she's so grounded, so patient, and she's so prepared. She's learned that in the last four or five years, and all those things that she learned at Connecticut are going to change the way you look at that team. One day, she's going to end up being the best player in the league for sure. Pickman: You think she'll end up being the best player in the league one day? Taurasi: Absolutely. Paige's instincts on the court are just incredible, and it takes a special skill and talent when you can galvanize a group of people. I've been around her long enough to know that once they get the right group around her, things will change because of her skill set and her ability to distribute and score. Paige just has tremendous talent, and once it's unlocked, I'm going to be really excited to watch her play. Advertisement Pickman: On the other end of the spectrum, your current friend and old college teammate at UConn, Sue Bird, has obviously taken on a new role in the basketball space with USA Basketball, being the managing director. Do you ever see yourself getting back into basketball, whether that's professional, Olympic or in a team ownership capacity? Taurasi: Firstly, what Sue's doing is incredible, and there's no person better than Sue to do that role. Why wouldn't you take the best point guard of all time to lead our USA basketball team into the next generation? It's just a tremendous accomplishment in so many ways for her. As far as myself, I don't see basketball not being in my life in the next 10 to 20 years in a different capacity. Ownership is something that I've always been passionate about, and I'm working towards that and having different conversations. When you can get to the point in your life where you can actually make decisions to change things, I think that's really impactful. Especially when you've been in the trenches, and you know what it takes to put together a winning team and a winning culture. So I'm going to use all those things that I've learned in the last 20 years of my professional career, and even before that, to hopefully one day lead a team. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, No Offseason Podcast 2025 The Athletic Media Company
