Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey on Becoming Franchise Players and Putting the Tempo on the Map

Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey on Becoming Franchise Players and Putting the Tempo on the Map

The Toronto Tempo’s Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey join Sue on this week’s episode of Bird’s Eye View. Brittney and Marina both signed two-year max contracts with the Tempo, making them the first known million-dollar backcourt since the new CBA. They’ve become one of the most dominant scoring duos this season and a major reason why the Tempo are near the top of the league in team scoring. Brittney and Marina talk about how growing up playing New Jersey basketball informed their game, channeling their combined 18 years of experience into productively leading a first-year team, and what it means to represent an entire country every time they step on the court. But first on Sue’s View, Sue reacts to the starters selected for this year’s All-Star game and finally breaks her silence on the viral sideline moment between her and Las Vegas Aces’ player Jackie Young during the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup final.   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]

Monica McNutt on the W’s Youth Movement, the Unstoppable Lynx, and Celebrating with the Knicks

In this episode Sue welcomes ESPN analyst and Knicks game announcer Monica McNutt to talk about all the latest W trends and storylines, from Olivia Miles’ impressive poise in Cheryl Reeve’s system, why young talent seems to be blowing up this year, and which teams are legit contenders in the East. Sue and Monica also dive into the Knicks’ title run, what the championship means to her and the people of New York, and how the fans have embraced her viral reaction videos. In Sue’s View, Sue has some thoughts about the WNBA season expanding to 50 games next year, the surge in league scoring, and celebrates the new Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class featuring Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Cheryl Reeve, and Doris Burke. 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]

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]