SEATTLE — For two decades, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have been intrinsically linked since winning the 2002 NCAA women's basketball national championship at the University of Connecticut.
The WNBA stars made history once again and will be featured on the cover of the NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition.
Last year, 2K Sports chose Chicago Sky star Candace Parker to be the first WNBA player on the cover of the popular video game series.
"It really is an incredible feeling to see your hard work memorialized on the cover of a game like NBA 2K23," Taurasi said in a statement. "There are so many kids that dream of pursuing a professional basketball career, and they can now also dream of being on the NBA 2K cover, whether they want to play in the NBA or WNBA."
In addition, 2K Sports is partnering with Bird and Taurasi to donate $100,000 to Every Kid Sports, a national non-profit organization that provides youth sports grants. The donation will cover youth basketball registration fees for over 550 girls from income-restricted families.
"It's an incredible feeling to see myself on the cover of a video game that has such a cultural impact," Bird said in a statement. "And by partnering with NBA 2K and Every Kid Sports, Diana and I have the opportunity to open doors to hundreds of young girls in this country who want to express themselves on the court. I'm honored to be on the cover, and even more honored to use my legacy to provide these opportunities for the next generation."
Bird and Taurasi are two of the most accomplished players in sports.
The 41-year-old Bird is the WNBA's all-time assist leader, a four-time WNBA champion, 13-time WNBA All-Star and five-time Olympic gold medalist.
Meanwhile, Taurasi, 40, is the WNBA's all-time scoring leader, three-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, 10-time WNBA All-star and five-time Olympic gold medalist.
The NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition will be released alongside other versions of the game on Sept. 9, 2022. Pre-orders are available Friday.
