As one of the most prominent female Basketball players in America, Sue Bird has created a legacy to be admired and followed. However, her recent retirement declaration on Instagram has left fans heartbroken and weeping. But, the crowd is left wondering how much Sue Bird salary had been as the top star player.

Who is Sue Bird?

Before the article divulges further into Sue Bird salary, let’s know who Sue Bird is. 

Sue Bird played with Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) for her entire career timeline. Further, she was credited with a front office position for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets as Basketball Operations Association. Apart from that, she’s known worldwide for her participation in games in Russia.

Returning to her high school and college era, Bird had been New York State Player of the year, along with WBCA All-American. It was a chance of luck for her to join UConn when Stepherson backed out and left a space open. During college, she became the awardee of the Wade Trophy, Honda Sports Award, Naismith Award, and so on.

Sue is one of the league’s top 20 players of all time, and with that, Sue Bird salary skyrocketed.

She recently played her last session on September 7, 2022, when Storm lost to the Las Vegas Aces. For the same, she announced on June 16, 2022, on her Instagram handle that she would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season.

Her caption reads:

“I’ve decided this will be my final year. I have loved every minute, and still do, so I’m going to play my last year just like this little girl played her first #TheFinalYear.”

However, she wasn’t satisfied with the game and felt sad about the entire season.

What is Sue Bird Salary?

Honoured with many awards, titles, and game wins, the fans wonder how much Sue Bird salary is to help her lead a peaceful life. One of the most exciting things about Bird is that she holds two citizenship–one is American, as she was born in New York, and the other is Israeli citizenship due to her father.

According to a source in Spotrac, Sue Bird salary is $221,470 for year 2022. Moreover, when all the other sources of her income are clubbed together, Sue Bird salary estimates to $500,000 a year. In terms of net worth, it is estimated to be around $8 million.

When interviewed about her working experience in Russia, Bird said she earns more now than the WNBA draft pickup in 2002. After playing in Europe for two seasons, the Russian billionaire Shabtai Kalmanovich recruited her to Spartak Moscow of the EuroLeague. As per his preference, he was like I have a ton of money, and rather than spending on cars, I wanted to spend on women’s basketball.

As a result, she earned ten times what she used to make in WNBA. That was a life-changing moment for her. Apart from the salaries, Bird was offered and pampered with first-class treatment during her time in Russia. Bird had everything from the best hotels in Paris to a mini mansion with a pool and spa. 

Life and Education

Sue Bird was born in Nassau County, New York. She has one older sister, Jen Bird. While she holds Isreal citizenship, she also represents her birth country in international competitions.

Apart from basketball, she was known to be playing soccer and ran track with her sister. However, she formed her mind for basketball after a security guard asked for her autograph after seeing her play at St. John’s basketball game. What’s more shocking is that she was just 11 years old.

For her first- and second-year student, Bird chose Syosset High School. However, due to a lack of competition, she shifted to Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, New York. 

For her college, she got enrolled in UConn despite being recruited by Stanford and Vanderbilt. However, after eight games in her first year, she suffered a torn ACL. She returned to lead the team in her sophomore year (1999-2000). 

For two consecutive years (2000 and 2001), she won the inaugural award of Nancy Liberman, credited as the top point guard in the nation.

Currently, she is engaged to FIFA World Cup medalist Megan Rapinoe.

Career 

Her professional career began when Seattle Storm selected Bird in the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA draft. She played alongside Lauren Jackson. Both of them led the Storm to their first playoffs. She became the 11th player to earn Olympic Gold Medal and an NCAA and WNBA Championship in 2004.

 Following this, she played for Spartak Moscow Region from 2006 to 2011. Later, she moved to UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2014. At last, she moved back to Seattle Storm.

However, her career faced a sudden halt when in the 2012 WNBA season, she started having knee problems. Thus, it prevented her from playing in the 2013 season due to knee surgery. Then, she returned in 2014 with a bang and was voted a WNBA all-star.

Besides her basketball career, Bird has worked as a brand ambassador for Nike. Also, she has endorsed brands like Symetra, American Express, Mendi, State Farm, and Glossier.

Relationship

Bird came out as gay in 2017 after coming into a relationship with Rapinoe, both gold medalists. What she said was, “I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend…these aren’t secrets to people who know me.  On the other hand, Rapinoe came out as gay, and in 2020, she told the public that coming out made her a better, fuller person.”

They met in 2016 for the first time backstage for the photoshoot of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sue Bird described her as a ‘total dork’. 

After three years of dating, the cute and sensational couple got engaged in October 2020. They both announced it on Instagram with a photo of Rapinoe bending on one knee on the edge of an infinity pool.

However, it has been two years since they both got engaged. In May 2022, the stars revealed to The Seattle Times, “It’s funny. It’s more Megan. We’re on Megan’s schedule.

Currently, they hope to be a youth icon and inspiration for the LGBTQ+ community and help people to accept themselves.

Let’s hope the couple gets married the following year, and the fans get their wishes to come true.

Conclusion on Sue Bird Salary

Sue Bird is a worldwide famous Basketball player. She was born in New York. In 2022, Sue Bird salary was $221,470.

In conclusion, her story depicts that nobody can stop you if you follow your heart. 

Be who you are, follow your dreams, and get a salary no one can beat you in.