Sue Bird Named Managing Director of USA Women's Basketball

Sue Bird, a five-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time WNBA champion, has been named the managing director of the USA Women's National Basketball Team, a newly created role that aligns the women's team structure with the men's side managed by Grant Hill. Bird will oversee selecting player rosters and coaching staff for major events including the 2026 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, replacing the previous committee-based decision-making process. Bird's extensive experience and leadership are seen as valuable assets for maintaining the U.S. women's team's dominant international record, which includes eight consecutive Olympic gold medals. The move follows criticism of roster decisions such as the exclusion of Caitlin Clark from the 2024 Paris Olympics team, with Bird expected to bring a strategic and unified approach to future selections. Her four-year term corresponds with the Olympic cycle, and she expressed enthusiasm about continuing to grow women's basketball and sustain the team's gold medal streak. Bird also plans to focus on selecting qualified coaches from both the WNBA and college levels, though no head coach has yet been named for the upcoming cycles.