Sue Bird opens up about new role for USA Basketball: ‘I know what I bring’

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NEW YORK — Sue Bird is ready to welcome the next generation of American basketball stars to Team USA.

Bird, who was announced Thursday as the managing director for the U.S. women’s national team, signaled her openness to bring Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and other American young talent into the fold as she takes on her role.

“You just want talent, and you want to see which talent, when they come together, is going to fit,” Bird said. “Of course, Caitlin. Of course, Paige. I mean, the names go on. You want them to be involved as quickly as possible to get comfortable. Because USA Basketball can be, from a player standpoint, can be an uncomfortable situation because we don’t have a lot of training time and you’re asked to do possibly, potentially, a different role. And you’re trying to do that on the fly. And so that can just cause a lot of discomfort. So the sooner you’re in it and you’re experiencing it, the better.”

Clark did not make the U.S. Olympic Team last summer during her rookie season in the WNBA. Bueckers was just drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Wings after she led the University of Connecticut to a women’s basketball national championship. But with eight of the 12 members of the 2024 team already 30 or older last summer, the national team will need to tap into more youth. Clark, Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Aliyah Boston are among the next class of players who could find their way onto an Olympic team.

Their chance with the national team could come as early as next summer, when Team USA plays in the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany. The decision on who will make the team will come down to Bird, along with many others. She said her priority is to name a coach, though she did not put a specific timeline to that choice.

Bird is the first person to hold the role of managing director for the women’s team. USA Basketball had made its decisions by committee until now. But Bird was chosen for the job after a wildly successful collegiate, WNBA and international career. She won four WNBA championships, all with the Seattle Storm, and five Olympic gold medals, which are just the top lines of her Hall of Fame resume.

She said she was initially resistant to take the position when USA Basketball reached out to her shortly after she retired after the 2022 season. She said she still felt like a player at that point and was not ready for the commitment.

But Bird warmed to it over time. Grant Hill, the first managing director of the men’s national team, helped convince her to do it. She was swayed by his experience and that being the managing director helped him get his competitive juices going again, which appealed to her.

Now, one of the most decorated players in basketball history will get to run a team instead of play on one. She believes that will be to her benefit.

“There’s an aspect of this where I’m going to be watching a lot of basketball, and watching a lot of players — something I was already doing, so that’s kind of nice,” Bird said. “But I think there’s an aspect of this where I know what I bring. I know what my perspective gives. I know what my experience can provide. And there’s also things that I need to learn. There’s also things that I want to talk to other people, pick brains, you know, maybe ask people what their experiences have been like. I think that combination will probably be my next how many ever months.”

(Photo of Sue Bird celebrating after the U.S. defeated Japan to win the women’s gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Abbie Parr / Getty Images)

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