Sue Bird to direct U.S. women's basketball national team

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird was named the first-ever managing director of the USA Basketball Women's National Team on Thursday.

Bird, 44, spent two decades with the national team and won 11 international medals, making her the most decorated athlete in FIBA history. A two-time national champion at UConn and a four-time WNBA champ with the Seattle Storm, she retired after the 2022 season.

"It's really exciting. I know what it feels like to represent your country as a player," Bird said. "I know what it feels like to stand on the podium as a player. So now that I'm retired, to continue to be able to have impact, to continue to be a part of representing (this) country and part of a gold medal organization feels like a natural next step for me."

She also is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2025 class.

Her tasks in her new role will include putting together the national team roster and identifying the coaching staff for upcoming international competitions. The next FIBA World Cup competition will be held in September 2026, with the Los Angeles Summer Olympics to follow in 2028.

Bird said she intends to draw upon what she's learned from the coaches she's played under and general managers who have influenced her teams. And she has her own vast experience to guide her, too.

"I know exactly what it's like to win with USA Basketball ... I've played different roles throughout the course of my USA Basketball experience, so I know what it's like to be a young player, older player and everything in between," Bird said. "That's really where I think my role will show the most.

"The way I played the game as a point guard was all about finding chemistry within these USA Basketball teams that don't get a ton of time to train together, which is one of the biggest challenges. That's something I've experienced and can definitely share my knowledge and hopefully have a positive impact there."

And she got nostalgic talking about the path her career took through international basketball.

"Winning gold medals -- there's really nothing like it. There's nothing like representing your country, there's nothing like having that medal put around your neck," Bird said. "I am just really excited to play a role in that and get to watch other people experience that, knowing that I will have some small part in it."

--Field Level Media