Sue Bird taking on new career challenge with USA Basketball puzzle

For years, Sue Bird called the shots on the court as a point guard.Now, the legendary WNBA star will be doing it off the court for USA Basketball. On Thursday, Bird was appointed USA Basketball’s first managing director for the women’s national team. For years, the women’s national team roster and coaching staff had been selected by a committee.

But that will change moving forward as Bird will lead those decisions, starting with next year’s World Cup in Berlin. “I know what I bring, I know what my perspective gives, and I know what my experience can provide, and there’s also things that I need to learn,” Bird said during a press conference at Nike NYC Headquarters in Manhattan.“There’s also things I want to talk to other people, pick brains, maybe ask people what their experiences have been like, so that combination will probably be my next however many months.” Bird, a five-time Olympic champion, wasn’t initially interested in the opportunity when USA Basketball first approached her about it shortly after she retired from playing in 2022. Grant Hill, who held the position on the men’s side from 2021 to 2024, has been recruiting Bird to join USA Basketball as an executive for some time now.

His efforts got to the point where Bird called him an “annoying older brother.” But as time passed, Bird opened up to the idea. “The exact amount of months, years, when they first brought this up is a little blurry, but I hadn’t been retired that long, and I still very much felt like a player,” Bird said.“I hadn’t really made that adjustment in my mind.

So the idea of picking a team, I was like, ‘What? I don’t want any part of that.’ So I think just time naturally did that, but also talking to Grant really played a big role in just making me see things in a different way.” Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who played alongside Bird for several seasons in Seattle, believes she’s a perfect fit for this role. “Not only has sh...