Herschel and Nancy Bird had Bird in Syosset, Nassau County, Long Island.Older Jen."Boorda" was her Russian-Jewish father.Despite her Israeli citizenship, she competes for the US.
After Syosset High School, Bird wanted more competition. She attended Queens' Christ the King Regional High School.Bird led Christ the King to a 24–3 junior year.
Stanford, Vanderbilt, and others recruited Bird. UConn was her pick, but when point guards Keirsten Walters and Brianne Stepherson committed, she wavered. She fretted about playing space.
2002 Storm selected Bird first. She played Lauren Jackson, last year's winner. Rookie Bird averaged. 2002 All-WNBA West. Rookie runner-up Bird was one of two All-WNBA First Team rookies.
In the 2004–05 WNBA off-season, she joined Kamila Vodichkova at Dynamo Moscow. The same team won the 2005–06 WNBA off-season Russian championship and Euroleague playoffs.
USA Basketball sent her to Taipei for the 2000 Jones Cup. Bird started all four games and led the team with 17 assists to win gold.
Bird qualified for the 2002 World Championships in Zhangjiagang, Changzhou, and Nanjing. Chancellor coached. Bird's USA won all nine games, including a late one-point final versus Russia
Bird and Rapinoe announced their romance on July 20, 2017.She and Rapinoe covered ESPN The Magazine's first same-sex "Body Issue" in 2018.Engagement was announced October 30, 2020.2022 LGBT