Former WNBA Star Sue Bird Is Latest to Get Own Barbie As Part of Role Model Collection

She joins a group of nine other trailblazing female athletes in the collection, which is intended to inspire future generations.

Sue Bird / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This year, Barbie is celebrating 65 years. In honor of the milestone, Mattel announced in May that it would be curating a collection of athlete role model dolls. “Barbie is thrilled to continue the brand’s 65th-anniversary celebration by recognizing the impact of sports in fostering self-confidence, ambition and empowerment among the next generation,” the company said in a press release at the time.

Since, the company has added 10 female athletes to the collection—the latest being former WNBA star Sue Bird. The retired Seattle Storm point guard joins the likes of American tennis player Venus Williams, Australian soccer star Mary Fowler and Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno.

For Mattel, adding Bird to the lineup was somewhat of a no-brainer. “Throughout her 21-year career as a trailblazer in the women’s basketball league,” they told People, “Sue Bird’s perseverance and authenticity have paved the way for more representation and attention on women in professional basketball and in sports.”

Sue Bird was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Suit by Alice + Olivia. Shoes by Nike. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

The four-time WNBA champion is the perfect addition to the collection, which is designed to inspire the next generation. The doll is a testament to Bird’s trailblazing both in the league (and on the court) and beyond it. As a cofounder of TOGETHXR, a media company dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of female athletes, Bird is already an inspiration.

With the help of Mattel, she hopes to continue on that path. “Now little girls and little 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,’” she said. “And that’s really powerful.”