WNBA, Olympic star Sue Bird speaks at WIN for KC’s Thursday Women’s Sports Awards lunch
Five-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird is coming to Kansas City to speak at the WIN For KC Women’s Sports Awards luncheon on Thursday at the Municipal Auditorium.
The event, in its 28th year in 2022, honors local women and girls who are making a difference in sports and fitness.
Bird, who recently announced that she is returning to the Seattle Storm for her 19th season in the WNBA, follows a long line of notable keynote speakers at the annual awards. Simone Biles, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Tamika Catchings have taken part in past years.
Six awards will be handed out at the event.
The Lockton Courage Award will be presented to Rachel Rhodes, who has competed in triathlons despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and losing the ability to walk at age 30.
The Kissick Construction Game Changer Award is being given to Mildred Barnes, who served as the women’s basketball coach at Iowa (1966-69) and Central Missouri (1971-80) and also played a major part in making the sport part of Olympic competition through her role as chair of the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball committee.
The Hallmark Cards Leadership Award will go to KeKe Blackmon, head coach of the KC Glory and freshman football coach/junior-varsity girls basketball coach at Olathe East High School.
Terry Miller, a former tennis star who is heavily involved in UTSA leadership, is set to receive the UMBFC Charitable Foundation Lifetime Sportswoman Award.
The Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center Rising Star Award will be presented to 17-year-old Lily Sowle, who runs a philanthropic organization that collects and donates kids soccer equipment in Haiti, and also coaches first-graders.
The BKD Wow Award will go to Raye Pond, who managed Nike’s women’s pro basketball account and raised awareness for the sport for more than a decade.
Thursday’s event starts with a networking reception at 10:30 a.m., followed by an awards luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be an autograph session with Bird afterward. For more information, visit sportkc.org/win-for-kc/awards-celebration.
