WNBA legend Sue Bird is taking all these in stride. First, Bird was officially inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.

Plus she is thrilled at the exposure the league is getting, even in the most least expected ways. When word got out that the WNBA was joked about on the popular parody account NBA Central, Bird was thrilled, per TMZ Sports.

She celebrated a post about the Los Angeles Sparks delaying practice due to guards Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink wearing the same outfit and engaging in a feud.

Bird said to Brink on her Straight to Cam podcast that being included in a joke instead of being the joke was a step in the right direction.

“It's good, though,” she said. “The last year-plus has been crazy with the social media takes around the WNBA, you guys know the craziness.”

Bird reiterated that after so many things that's held the WNBA down, it now looks like things are finally coming around.

“Add on the 20-plus years of people just like s****ing on us all the time,” Bird said. “So, to be on a parody account, it sounds weird, but it's actually a good sign. We're a part of the joke, not the butt of the joke.”

Article Continues Below
More WNBA News
Caitlin Clark (Fever), Napheesa Collier (Lynx) and Jonquel Jones (Liberty) all in-game shots, WNBA logo and full arena in background
6 biggest stories of 2025 WNBA season so farRussell Steinberg ·
The 2025 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees, from left, Mark Campbell, Sylva Fowles, Alana Beard, Lucille Kyvallos, Danielle Donehew, and Sue Bird receive applause during the 2025 WBHOF Induction Ceremony.
WNBA honors greats with Women’s Hall of Fame inductionErin Achenbach ·
A Wilson Evo NXT official WNBA basketball on the court at Crypto.com Arena.
WNBA exposed for excluding players from media rights dealJess Koffie ·
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) shoots the ball as Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) looks on in the first half at Entertainment & Sports Arena.
Undefeated teams in WNBA history rankedJess Koffie ·
May 13, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; A general view of Scotiabank Arena during the anthem before the first ever WNBA game in Canada between Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Tempo hilariously calls on WNBA teams for mascot tips ahead of 2026 debutZachary Draves ·
Jun 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Professional tennis player Coco Gauff waves to the fans in the second quarter of the game between the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Coco Gauff reveals hopes for WNBA expansion team in this cityErin Achenbach ·

The WNBA is chartering new territory in sports media

Last year, the WNBA saw record viewership and attention. 94% of games were sold out, 400 000 fans attended games, and television viewership shot up to an average of 1.32 million viewers across all streaming platforms.

On June 13, the WNBA officially secured a landmark 11-year media rights deal worth $200 million. The deal, beginning in 2026.

The deal was in conjunction with NBC, Amazon, and Disney to increase media revenue. This represents a shift in major media outlets putting their name behind women's basketball.

At one point, it would be common for a parody account to mock the WNBA. Now the league is given legitimacy in the form of a parody.