WNBA's Bird signs on with Gould, The Firm

WNBA No. 1 draft pick Sue Bird has signed a representation agreement with veteran NFL agent Jim Gould and The Firm,

	Sue Bird helped lead Connecticut to the NCAA championship in March.

Bird made the choice after interviewing several agents, including David Bober, agent for soccer star Mia Hamm, and Leonard Armato, agent for WNBA player Lisa Leslie.

Herschel Bird said his daughter was impressed with Bober, Armato, and Gould and The Firm, and wrestled with the decision of choosing an agent. "To me, the one factor that gave one agency more of an advantage than another is the personal connection," he said.

Herschel Bird is a longtime friend of a Gould business partner. Gould recently formed a partnership with The Firm.

The Firm, in addition to buying AMG's entertainment businesses last week, is a major music industry manager with clients that include Korn, Limp Bizkit and the Dixie Chicks.

The Firm COO David Baram said he, Gould and company marketing executive Constance Schwartz would be the main team to handle Bird's career. The group already negotiated a deal with Nike and is in talks with other companies about deals for the player, Baram said.