'A Surreal Moment' (Exclusive): WNBA Legend Sue Bird Is Getting Her Own Barbie

From the courts to the playground: WNBA legend Sue Bird is now a Barbie!

Mattel announced on Tuesday, July 16 that the former Seattle Storm player, 43, is getting her own Role Model doll as part of the iconic fashion toy's 65th anniversary celebration and the company’s summer of sports initiative. 

“I was really excited when I heard,” Bird tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I grew up playing with Barbies so it's kind of a surreal moment when something like this happens.” 

The five-time Olympic gold medalist is joining nine other female athletes — including tennis player Venus Williams, soccer player Christine Sinclair and gymnast Alexa Moreno — to get their own Role Model dolls as part of the initiative.However, Bird's doll is the only one available for purchase.

“Throughout her 21-year career as a trailblazer in the women’s basketball league, Sue Bird’s perseverance and authenticity have paved the way for more representation and attention on women in professional basketball and in sports," Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel, said in a statement to PEOPLE. 

She added, "As we continue to celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary and champion women with inspiring stories, the Barbie brand is proud to welcome Sue Bird into the Barbie Role Model collection, with a shared goal of inspiring the next generation to pursue their passions."

The new Barbie also features a “Made to Move” body sculpt, which allows the doll to bend its elbows and knees, so that children can play with it and score layups, dribble around the defense or shoot a three-pointer.

Bird said growing up there weren’t any Barbie dolls dedicated to one specific athlete and that she hopes her doll will inspire young girls to pursue their athletic potential. “This is going to have that impact of ‘seeing it and being it,’ ” she says.

“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,’ " the retired basketball star and cofounder of TOGETHXRcontinues. "And that's really powerful.”

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In addition to the doll, Barbie is also collaborating with VOICEINSPORT — a digital sport platfor -

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m dedicated to keeping girls in athletics — to bring virtual mentoring sessions by the nine role model athletes throughout the year. The toy company will also make a donation to Every Kids Sport, a nonprofit close to Bird's heart that helps kids of all financial backgrounds gain access to youth sports.

“I'm just really excited that we're going to be able to give back in that way,” Bird says. “There's going to be a tangible effect. The more you live, the more you realize there's so much talent in the world, but there's not always enough opportunity in the world. So this is a way where we can change that.” 

Inspiring the next generation of young female athletes is something Bird said she takes “a lot of pride in,” especially after her record-breaking career in the WNBA and at the Summer Olympics.

“As an athlete, when you're in the middle of your career you're trying to make a name for yourself. But then you get to a point where you're like, ‘Okay, there's going to be other athletes that win, there's going to be athletes that come along and break your records. So there has to be something more, right?’ " Bird says, explaining, "You want to leave an impact that isn't just defined by winning and losing."

Bird was also involved in the creative process — which she says was “super fun” — and got to incorporate some of her signature looks into her doll.

“The one characteristic that probably is most represented on the doll is just how meticulous and careful I was with my hair. It's just a simple ponytail, but I took a lot of pride in making sure there were no flyaways. Because for me, when I played, it was really important that I didn't have to worry about anything else but playing,” she says.

Bird is a highly accomplished professional basketball player known for her WNBA career and international play. She played for the Seattle Storm from 2002 until her retirement in 2022. During her career, Bird won four WNBA Championships, five Olympic gold medals, four FIBA World Cups and was selected to thirteen WNBA All-Star teams.

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The Sue Bird Barbie doll is now available for purchase via the Mattel Shop. Girls 12 years and older can unlock free mentoring sessions with Barbie Role Models and educational content through VOICEINSPORTS.

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