The phrase in the clutch represents an ability to pull off something crucial during an important moment, widely used in the world of sports. These words can be applied to any Hail Mary football pass, any home run while the bases are loaded, or a three-point buzzer beater; it’s the latter with which athletes like Sue Bird are acutely familiar and can be seen several times over the course of “Sue Bird: In The Clutch, “ an aptly named documentary telling the story of one of the finest players the WNBA has ever seen. It takes little effort to apply these words to the film itself, as the arrival of “In The Clutch” feels welcome in a time where a woman athlete can’t help but ponder the disproportion that exists between their own career and that of their male counterparts, in addition to the platform such a person might be able to utilize thanks to their prominence in sport. Sue Bird knows this all too well.
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It would be impossible to overlook any comparisons to 2020’s acclaimed Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls miniseries “The Last Dance, “ with both films framed by, respectively, Jordan’s final game with the Bulls and Bird’s own last trip to the court prior to her retirement in 2022 at age 41, as well as their individual journeys down the road that led each to the level they exist at today. It becomes apparent as “In The Clutch” begins that Bird’s dry sarcasm and outspoken manner are undeniable characteristics. As the film ventures into her childhood, we see the foundation being laid for her future achievements, especially in the rousing footage of her early days establishing herself as a dominant point guard to her time at UConn under coach Geno Auriemma, where she would persevere following injury-related setbacks before being drafted by the Seattle Storm in 2002. Though Bird possesses no shortage of stories as she recalls details of her path to the WNBA, hearing from her family and teammates helps to add further color, even if these talking-head moments are an irrefutable, well-worn hallmark of any documentary; that said, hearing Bird wax nostalgic on the blunt honesty her father expressed when providing feedback following her games or from the mouth of later Storm compatriots such as the mighty Diana Taurasi go to great lengths to solidify Bird’s legacy in the wake of her retirement as someone with far more layers than one might have anticipated.
This characteristic takes additional shape in the latter act of the film, as Bird balances such activities as Olympic appearances with a desire to use her stature as a means to bring attention to a variety of causes, in particular involving the way equity in pay as the offseason’s lack thereof sees Bird travel to Russia so as to supplement her income and, inadvertently, find herself treated to luxuries previously unknown to your average member of the WNBA. Though these scenes do deliver one of the film’s darker moments when discussing the murder of her team’s owner, Shabtai von Kalmanovic, they’re buoyed by the opposite end of the spectrum when the focus turns toward her sexuality and subsequent relationship with her fiancée/former soccer pro, Megan Rapinoe. The way in which “In The Clutch” delves into this particular subject could not have been handled better, with the genuine chemistry between these two women more than apparent and the support Bird has received infectious; it does seem that her decision to retire may very well have been more difficult than the act of coming out of the closet, another notch on the long list of examples as to why the game of basketball has meant as much as it has.
Director Sarah Dowland doesn’t tackle “In the Clutch” in a manner that makes any sterling advances in the world of documentary filmmaking, choosing instead to play it safe and allow Bird’s journey to do the talking, but that in and of itself remains enough to more than power the film. If nothing else, for those who might not be aware of Bird’s career or the WNBA as a whole, “In The Clutch” is something of a crash course in both, though neither subject feels shortchanged in the process. It could be viewed as a fitting conclusion in the professional life of Sue Bird, but as the credits roll, there’s no question her best days still lie ahead. [B+]
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