Sue Bird: In the Clutch - Sundance 2024

Sue Bird: In the Clutch is a newly premiered documentary that celebrates the career of one of the greatest WNBA players of all time.

WNBA players do not get the same amount of respect as NBA players. The respect for one of the greatest point guards in history isn’t the same. They certainly do not make the same amount of money. Unfortunately, this is why so many of them turn to playing overseas in Europe. Bird, like Brittney Griner, also played overseas in Russia.

Filmmaker Sarah Dowland follows Bird as she players her 21st season in the WNBA. It would also turn out to be the final season in a legendary sports career. Retirement, let alone the decision-making process, never comes easy. But at some point, a player has to hang it up and call it a career. A question that Dowland must get answered in following Bird: how does one call it quits in a legendary sports career. The film features a mix of both verité footage and talking head interviews, including fiancée Megan Rapinoe. Through interviews, we learn about the type of player that Bird is. Interestingly, her early years playing for the Seattle Storm were cultureshock compared to four seasons at UConn. Imagine going from sellouts in college to barely even filling up a third of the stadium.

The latter part of Bird’s career is when WNBA players got political and took a stand. They were vocal in opting not to play as a way of protesting. Before 2020, athletes might see punishment for deciding to take a stand. After 2020, not so much. Being a veteran means having to lead both on the court and off. Bird did exactly that throughout her career. It’s one of the reasons why Team USA honored her as one of two flag bearers during the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021.

Sue Bird: In the Clutch is more than just a highlights reel for for the athlete, who retired following the 2022 WNBA season. It’s a celebration of a career that includes many championships:

4 WNBA Championships
5 Olympic Gold Medals
2 NCAA Championships
4 FIBA World Cups
5 EuroLeague Women Championships

Bird is one of 11 players to accomplish the feat of winning championships while playing in NCAA, WNBA, Olympics and FIBA tournaments. Moreover, Bird and US Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi are the only basketball players in history to take home 5 Olympic gold medals. This speaks to the longevity for women’s basketball players and how they are likely to play in more than two or three Olympics. The most gold medals on the men’s side is 3 (Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant) although Anthony also has an Olympic Bronze.

Dowland does focus somewhat on Bird’s childhood but doesn’t really get into Bird’s decision to apply for Israeli citizenship. It feels like an afterthought even though it was key to playing basketball in Europe. EuroLeague rules mandate that there can only be two Americans on a team. Bird’s way around this was to apply for Israeli citizenship as her father is Jewish.

Sue Bird: In the Clutch is the celebration of a historic career.

DIRECTOR: Sarah Dowland
FEATURING: Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe