4X WNBA champ Sue Bird rocks Paige Bueckers jersey after posing for iconic pic with other basketball legends

Sue Bird last played at Storrs, Connecticut in 2002. However, her love for the UConn Huskies program has remained through the years. She has acted as a mentor and role model to many of its current players, including Paige Bueckers.

On Saturday, Bueckers shared photographs of Bird—alongside the latter's wife, former professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe—wearing her jersey during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend.

Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Paige Bueckers (Credits: Instagram/@paigebueckers)

Bird has been a long-time fan of Bueckers. Right after the guard's freshman season in 2021, Bird went on Stephen A. Smith's show and talked about what sets Bueckers apart from other young players.

"She's special," said Bird. "I think Paige, you know, she grew up obviously watching people like Diana Taurasi play but probably Steph Curry as well and so you're seeing like this skill set in some of these younger players that's just so different from when I was in college, just so different."

She added:

"The ball handling, the step-backs, the ability to hit the three, the mid-range, you name it. She finishes at the rim really well. To me it's the swag, it's the confidence. She's cocky out there. I love her."

Amid the weekend festivities, Bird also caught up with other former Husky greats such as Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi. They gathered during the "Queens of Court" panel discussion on Friday.

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As part of their 65th anniversary and Summer of Sports campaign, Mattel honors Sue Bird with her own Barbie doll

On July 16, Mattel announced that Sue Bird is one of nine athletes who will receive their own Barbie doll in line with the company's 65th anniversary and their Summer of Sports campaign. The other athletes, whose dolls were announced in May, are Venus Williams, Christine Sinclair, Estelle Mossely, Alexa Moreno, Mary Fowler, Federica Pellegrini, Ewa Swoboda and Susana Rodriguez.

According to Mattel, the creation of Bird's doll was in recognition of her efforts in pioneering the growth of the WNBA with her record-breaking legacy. She was also one of the prominent voices that changed the course of the game.

"This is going to have that impact of 'seeing it and being it,'" said Bird. "You want to leave an impact that isn't just defined by winning and losing. Now little girls and boys are going to see a professional women's basketball player in the form of a Barbie and they're going to tap into that story, they're going to tap into that career and they're going to think 'Oh, this is something I could do.'"

During her 20-season career in the league, Bird was a 13x WNBA All-Star who led the Seattle Storm to four championships. She was also part of five USA women's national teams that won gold in the Olympics. She retired in 2022.