Chiney Okgwumike on the WNBA’s Opening Weeks: Azzi & Paige, Biggest Surprises, and More

Kaitlyn Chen on Her Journey From Princeton to Ballhalla, Staying Aggressive, and Forging Her Own Identity

In this episode, Sue chats with Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (who happened to be calling in using her backcourt partner Veronica Burton’s iPad!). Entering her second WNBA season, Kaitlyn reflects on her unique path to the pros—from anchoring a dominant program at Princeton to playing a more strategic role on UConn’s championship team alongside Paige and Azzi, and navigating the emotional roller coaster of her rookie WNBA season. Kaitlyn shares what it means to be the first Taiwanese-American player in the WNBA, playing under the league's first Japanese-American head coach, Natalie Nakase, while embracing the passionate Bay Area fan base. She also breaks down how she handles the fast-changing business of the league, finding her voice as a leader, and maintaining an aggressive edge on the court against the “talls.” Bird’s Eye View is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbird10/  Follow Sue on X: https://x.com/s10bird  Follow Bird’s Eye View on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewpod/ Follow Bird’s Eye View on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdseyeviewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Brittney Griner on Learning to Stand Tall, Surviving Russia, and Getting Back to her Authentic Self

This week, Sue welcomes Brittney Griner to Bird's Eye View for a deeply personal conversation about her basketball journey, how she’s overcome the most extreme adversity, and how she found her voice as a veteran mentor. BG opens up about her harrowing 10-month detention in Russia and the long road to mental and physical recovery that followed upon her release. After a historic, championship-winning 11-year run with the Mercury and a pit stop with the Dream, BG finds herself mentoring a young Connecticut Sun squad, and looking forward to the franchise's upcoming relocation to her hometown of Houston in 2027. And she happily shares that she's finally turned a corner and is throwing down two-handed dunks again. Bird’s Eye View is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbird10/  Follow Sue on X: https://x.com/s10bird  Follow Bird’s Eye View on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewpod/ Follow Bird’s Eye View on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdseyeviewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Naz Hillmon on Expanding her Range, Her Family’s Basketball Roots, and Atlanta’s Championship Dreams

This week, Sue sits down with Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon! Naz discusses how she had to evolve her game as she transitioned from a collegiate star at Michigan to pro athlete,  how she gained the confidence to start shooting threes, and what Atlanta needs to do to bring home the championship this year. And in Sue’s View, Sue gives a shout out to some record-breaking feats, from A’ja Wilson hitting 6,000 career points to Angel Reese’s double-double streak, and has some takeaways from the Lynx’s impressive win over the Wings. Bird’s Eye View is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbird10/  Follow Sue on X: https://x.com/s10bird  Follow Bird’s Eye View on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewpod/ Follow Bird’s Eye View on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdseyeviewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Natasha Cloud Opens Up About Her Free Agency, Joining the Chicago Sky, and Her Social Activism

This week’s Sue welcomes Natasha Cloud of the Chicago Sky to the show! Natasha discusses her career through college, to winning a championship with the Washington Mystics, to playing for the Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, and Chicago Sky. She also shares the details of her departure from the Liberty and her free agency journey this past offseason, what went into her decision to opt of the 2020 WNBA season, her mindset regarding social activism, and much much more. Bird’s Eye View is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbird10/  Follow Sue on X: https://x.com/s10bird  Follow Bird’s Eye View on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewpod/ Follow Bird’s Eye View on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdseyeviewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Chiney Okgwumike on the WNBA’s Opening Weeks: Azzi & Paige, Biggest Surprises, and More

This week Sue welcomes ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike to the show! Sue and Chiney discuss their shared experience of becoming media members of the same league that they were once stars in, and what it’s like balancing their relationships around the W while covering the league. They also bounce around some of the notable storylines of the first month of the WNBA season, including Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers, and the Dallas Wings, the struggling New York Liberty, and the impact of expansion teams. And on “Sue’s View”, Sue dives deeper into the Liberty and on the contrary, the dominance of the Atlanta Dream. Bird’s Eye View is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbird10/  Follow Sue on X: https://x.com/s10bird  Follow Bird’s Eye View on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewpod/ Follow Bird’s Eye View on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@birdseyeviewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]