Players in 2026 WNBA Draft enter league in a new era created by predecessors

When Sue Bird was in fifth grade, she and her classmates were asked to predict what they’d be when they grew up. Bird wrote: A doctor, a lawyer or a professional soccer player. At the time, there was no NWSL (or WNBA, for that matter). The main professional team sports leagues in the U.S. were for men — the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL.Advertisement