5-Time Olympian Sue Bird Showed Strength on SI Swimsuit Set in St. Thomas

The WNBA veteran made her brand debut in the U.S. Virgin Islands back in 2022.

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

The U.S. women’s basketball team has cruised to the quarterfinals, hopefully en route to securing an eighth consecutive gold medal. The squad is composed of some of the WNBA’s best veterans and a handful of returning Olympians. But for the first time since the 2000 games, the roster is missing one notable name: Sue Bird.

The exclusion of the 43-year-old from the 2024 Olympics in Paris is, of course, due to the fact that she retired in 2022. After 20 years, four WNBA championships and five Olympic gold medals, Bird hung up her jersey for the last time. The Seattle Storm fixture had an illustrious career, of which the Olympics were a regular part.

So with Paris Olympic play in progress, we can’t help but reflect on the retired league veteran. Bird was, no doubt, a force on the basketball court. She is the current WNBA all-time assists leader, a four-time FIBA World Cup champion and a powerful floor general at point guard.

But her extensive career résumé includes other off-court accomplishments, too. She is the cofounder of TOGETHXR, a media company dedicated to elevating female athletes and telling their stories. Additionally, she has notched several magazine features over the years, including an appearance within the pages of the 2022 SI Swimsuit Issue.

We may be biased, but we think that trip to St. Thomas was undoubtedly incredible. But we’ll let the photos from Laretta Houston speak for themselves. Here are a few of our favorites from the trip.

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas. Swimsuit by SKATIE. Necklaces by Sahira Jewelry Design and Child of Wild. / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas. Swimsuit by Gigi C. Earrings by Eklexic. / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas. Swimsuit by Antoninias. Earrings by Eklexic. / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated